LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Ministerial Statements

Peter Bone: To ask the Leader of the House what mechanism she uses to monitor the number of occasions on which the media has been given information contained in Ministerial Statements before those statements have been made to the House.

Chris Bryant: The Leader of the House closely monitors all ministerial statements, written and oral, and is keen to ensure that paragraph 9.1 of the Ministerial Code is always upheld. This makes clear that
	"when Parliament is in Session, the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance, in Parliament."

SCOTLAND

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years.

Ann McKechin: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members' correspondence. Information relating to 2008 will be published as soon as it has been collated. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	 (b) The Scotland Office publishes statistics on the handling of correspondence from members of the public in our annual report. The annual reports for 2007-08 and earlier are available on the SO website at:
	http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk.
	The Scotland Office aims to respond to all correspondence from members of the public within 15 working days of receipt.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the  (a) original expected cost,  (b) original expected delivery date,  (c) actual cost incurred and  (d) actual delivery date was of each ICT project undertaken and completed by his Department in each year since 1997; who the contractors for each project were; what the (i) initial estimated and (ii) outturn payment to each contractor was; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 68W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office has incurred no expenditure on public relations consultancies in the last five years.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with reference to the answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 239W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008.

Ann McKechin: Ministers in the Scotland Office have undertaken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008: 'Presentation and Public Speaking Skills' and an 'Introduction Workshop for New Ministers'.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office have incurred no costs for media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; and have held no such training sessions.

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Hoon) on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code'.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: All staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice, who remain their employers.
	The matter of granting time off in lieu is delegated to Departments to determine under the civil service management code, of which section 9 sets out terms and conditions relating to hours of work and how staff should be compensated for working outside their normal pattern.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Ann McKechin: The Office does not record this information in the form requested.

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what cars are  (a) owned,  (b) leased,  (c) hired and  (d) otherwise regularly used by his Department, broken down by cubic capacity of engine.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office do not own or lease any cars and do not hold records of the cubic capacity of the engine of cars they hire.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Hoon) on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 10W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place for the offence of consuming alcohol in a designated public place in each of the last seven years.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 21 January 2009
	Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against for consuming alcohol in a designated public place in England and Wales from 2001 to 2007 (latest available) are given in the following table.
	
		
			  D efendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for consuming alcohol in a designated public place, England and Wales, 2001 - 07( 1, 2) 
			   Number 
			 2001 — 
			 2002 37 
			 2003 108 
			 2004 122 
			 2005 101 
			 2006 101 
			 2007 113 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform Ref: IOS 044-09

Community Policing: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will meet a delegation of residents from Castle Point to discuss community policing and the return to use of Hadleigh police station.

Vernon Coaker: The management of the police estate and the allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief constable to determine.
	However, I am happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss community policing in Castle Point.

Crime: Business

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the cost to UK businesses of  (a) shoplifting,  (b) fraud,  (c) forgery,  (d) e-crime,  (e) theft from vehicles,  (f) theft of vehicles,  (g) theft of plant,  (h) graffiti and vandalism and  (i) other crime in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: There are currently no year-on-year estimates of the costs of crime to business. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 January 2009,  Official Report column 700W, Crime: Business that provided links to the most recent published estimates.
	However the Home Office also published some estimates of the costs of crime against retail and manufacturing premises for 1994 as well as for 2002-03 in:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hors146.pdf.
	The results from both surveys are broadly comparable and an overview is provided in section 4 of the second report. However it is not possible to identify the year on year trends in between these two surveys. No estimate of the cost of crime to businesses has been published since the 2002-03 report.

Extradition: EU Countries

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what offences British citizens have been  (a) arrested and  (b) surrendered to the authorities of another EU member state under the provisions of a European arrest warrant since the Extradition Act 2003 came into force.

Meg Hillier: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) is the designated authority for the receipt and transmission of European arrest warrants in the UK. There is no Government involvement in the operation of the EAW. The following table gives a total figure for the number of people extradited to and by the UK since the EAW entered into force on 1 January 2004 until September 2008.
	It is not possible from current systems to provide data broken down into British and non-British nationals, nor into types of offence. SOCA is putting in place a new database to record this information non-retrospectively.
	
		
			  Extradited from the UK 
			  Surrenders 
			  Part 1 EAW  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Total 23 75 151 320 351 
		
	
	
		
			 Extradited to the UK 
			  Surrenders 
			  Part 3 EAW  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Total extradited 24 62 75 96 78 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of EAWs issued to and by the UK since 1 January 2004 
			  Totals by year 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Part 1 EAW 1,865 5,986 3,329 2,534 2,428 
			 Part 3 EAW 96 131 75 185 172

Identity Cards: Civil Proceedings

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 145W, on identity cards, what stage the legal case relating to disclosure of Gateway information has reached; how much the Government have spent to date on legal costs for the case; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the Identity Card Gateway Review, redacting commercially sensitive information.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 508-09W. The tribunal has still not issued its decision.
	The legal cost incurred, relating to the disclosure of Gateway information on the Identity Cards programme, is currently £121,000 excluding VAT.
	Gateway reports, including the findings and status, are conducted on a confidential basis for senior responsible owners (SRO). We do not, therefore, make this information routinely public.

Police Stations: Closures

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations have been closed to the public since 2001.

Vernon Coaker: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and chief constable, who are responsible for assessing local needs.

Police: Manpower

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sworn police officers there are in England and Wales; and how many  (a) occupy non-front line posts and  (b) are on permanent restricted duties.

Vernon Coaker: There were 141,859 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in the 43 forces of England and Wales as at 31 March 2008.
	There were 17,573 FTE non-operational police officers in the 43 forces of England and Wales as at 31 March 2008. Such officers include any member of staff whose primary role is to support the delivery of the overarching aims of the police service or to service the internal needs of the organisation.
	There were 4,821 police officers (headcount) in the 43 forces of England and Wales on temporary restricted duty as at 31 March 2008.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Defence Equipment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent improvements have been made to the personal protective equipment for armed forces personnel in active theatres.

Quentin Davies: We have recently introduced enhancements to the fit of Osprey body armour which have improved user manoeuvrability. Additionally, a system which allows troops to wear front and back Osprey plates without the soft armour jacket has just been introduced. This system is used by troops who require extra mobility or are operating in confined spaces.
	The need to improve personal protection in response to developing threats is continually assessed. Further improvements to body armour and helmets are being developed and are planned to be introduced later this year.

Defence: Military Aircraft

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent improvements have been made to the fleet of frontline UK aircraft.

Quentin Davies: In the past year, we have introduced a number of significant improvements to our frontline aircraft capabilities.
	We have enhanced our strategic air lift capability by taking delivery of two more C-17s, taking our total C-17 fleet to six aircraft.
	We continue to improve our fast jet capabilities with significant enhancements to our Harrier and Tornado fleets to increase their effectiveness in the Close Air Support roles they fulfil in Iraq and Afghanistan. These improvements include our new Paveway IV Precision Guided Bomb, which entered service with the Harriers in December 2008, and which provides the RAF with a state of the art all-weather, day and night, precision bombing capability. The Dual Mode Seeker Brimstone also entered service in December 2008 providing increased target accuracy and reduced risk of collateral damage. On 1 July 2008 Typhoon was declared operational in the air to ground role, while on 21 October the first two Tranche 2 Typhoon aircraft were delivered to RAF Coningsby.
	We have also increased our surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities with the introduction of the Airborne Stand off Radar, which achieved its In Service Date in November 2008.
	We have increased the number of helicopter airframes and hours available to our commanders in the last two years, delivering a 60 per cent. increase in available flying hours, and will be making a further significant increase in helicopter capacity in Afghanistan over the next two years. By the end of 2009 the first of the eight Chinooks under the Mark 3 reversion programme will be delivered, providing a significant uplift to our heavy lift helicopter fleet. The first of the 12 upgraded Lynx Mark 9 helicopters will also be available by the end of 2009. Taken with additional Apache capability and the Merlins that we plan to move to Afghanistan once they have completed their mission in Iraq, these improvements will deliver a significant increase in our front line helicopter capability.

Departmental Consultants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of his Department's contracts with management consultants was in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: Summaries for the years 1995-96 to 2007-08 of the MOD's expenditure on external assistance, of which management consultancy is a part, are available in the House Library. These summaries also include the spend figures for Defence agencies and trading funds, but they exclude expenditure by non-departmental public bodies, which is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Correspondence

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to letters from the hon. Member for Peterborough on the wearing of service uniforms off base by personnel at RAF Wittering.

Kevan Jones: My right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces replied to the hon. Member on 21 January 2009. I am not aware of any further outstanding correspondence from this Department.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years.

Kevan Jones: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to correspondence from Members and Peers. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	The information sought in respect of letters from members of the public could be provided only at disproportionate cost, but the Department aims to respond to all correspondence within 15 working days of receipt.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 630W, on departmental ICT, what ICT projects his Department and its agencies are undertaking; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: An ICT project can vary from installing single computers and software licences to major programmes, such as the Defence Information Infrastructure. Details of all the ICT projects being undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and each of its agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the initial estimated  (a) cost and  (b) delivery date was of each ICT project initiated by his Department in each year since 1997; what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) completion date was of each such project subsequently completed; which contractors were hired for each project; and how much has been paid to each contractor in respect of each project to date.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which ICT projects his Department initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was  (a) commenced and  (b) abandoned; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1000W, on departmental public relations, which firms were used; and what the remit was of each substantive contract.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1672-73W.

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1001W, to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge). Information on contracts with public relations consultancies is otherwise not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The MOD publishes annual summaries of expenditure on external assistance which are placed in the Library of the House. The latest edition has been placed in the Library of the House and is available on line at
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=66&pubType=1.

Directorate of Management and Consultancy Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what Directorate of Management and Consultancy Services studies have been issued since 1997-98;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of each Directorate of Management and Consultancy Services study produced in 2008.

Kevan Jones: I will place a copy of the list of substantive studies completed by the Ministry of Defence's Directorate of Management Consultancy Services between January 2000 and December 2008 in the Library of the House. While every effort has been made to ensure the completeness of the list over that period, it has not been possible to confirm absolutely that all substantive studies have been included due to a lack of consistency in recording information during a period of restructuring and change. Records prior to 2000 are not held on a central database and could be accessed and verified only at disproportionate cost.
	I will place copies of the reports produced in 2008 in the Library of the House, subject to a check to ensure they do not contain information that should be withheld. I will write to the hon. Member when this has been done.

HMS Endurance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the out-of-service date for HMS Endurance is.

Quentin Davies: On present planning assumptions HMS Endurance will reach her out-of-service date in 2015.

Joint Strike Fighter

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Mid Sussex of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 676W, on the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, whether the development and acquisition schedule under the US/UK Memorandum of Understanding was denominated in US dollars.

Quentin Davies: Yes.

Supply Estimates

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down his Department's Winter Supplementary Estimate 2008-09 on the same basis as in his answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 168W.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Letter from Bob Ainsworth, dated 22 January 2009:
	I undertook to write to you on 15 December 2008, (Official Report, column 341W) and 12 January, (Official Report column 99W) in answer to your Parliamentary Questions about Departmental Public Expenditure.
	I attach tables which provide a detailed breakdown of the Department's Main Estimates 2007/08, together with a breakdown of the Department's Winter Supplementary Estimates for 2008/09.
	I am placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Ministry of Defence breakdown of main estimates 2007-08 
			  TLB  Estimate type  Main estimates (£000) 
			  RfR1   
			  Commander-in-Chief Fleet (incorporates 2nd Sea Lord) Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 2,143,910 
			  DEL non cash 1,548 
			  Grants 1,786 
			  Operating A-in-A -35,718 
			  Total DEL 2,111,526 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash  
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 50,458 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 50,458 
			 Total Commander-in-Chief Fleet  2,161,984 
			
			  Commander in Chief Land ( includes Northern Ireland) Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 6,024,940 
			  DEL non cash 12,667 
			  Grants 243 
			  Operating A-in-A -252,134 
			  Total DEL 5,785,716 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash  
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 239,054 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 57 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 239,111 
			 Total Commander in Chief Land  6,024,827 
			
			  Air Officer Commanding In Chief RAF Strike Command Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 1,761,978 
			  DEL non cash 1,163 
			  Grants  
			  Operating A-in-A -24,461 
			  Total DEL 1,738,680 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash  
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 79,823 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 79,823 
			 Total Air Officer Commanding In Chief RAF Strike Command  1,818,503 
			
			  Chief of Joint Operations Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 440,020 
			  DEL non cash 3,239 
			  Grants  
			  Operating A-in-A -24,416 
			  Total DEL 418,843 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash 3,599 
			  Total AME 3,599 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 61,322 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 61,322 
			 Total Chief of Joint Operations  483,764 
			
			  Adjutant General Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 860,084 
			  DEL non cash -92,230 
			  Grants 3,787 
			  Operating A-in-A -12,980 
			  Total DEL 758,661 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash  
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget near cash grants 9,254 
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 9,254 
			  CDEL 28,407 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Op AinA  
			  Total Capital 28,407 
			 Total Adjutant General  796,322 
			
			  Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 916,464 
			  DEL non cash 1,190 
			  Grants 3,023 
			  Operating A-in-A -150,502 
			  Total DEL 770,175 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash  
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 28,867 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 28,867 
			 Total Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command  799,042 
			
			
			  Central Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 2,178,201 
			  DEL non cash 132,053 
			  Grants 190,874 
			  Operating A-in-A -306,581 
			  Total DEL 2,194,547 
			  AME near cash  
			  Ame Grants 8,411 
			  AME non cash -12 
			  AME A in A -4,500 
			  Total AME 3,899 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  non budget grants 750 
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 750 
			  CDEL 65,724 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A -51,179 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 14,545 
			
			 Total Central  2,213,741 
			
			  Defence Equipment and Support (formerly DLO and DPA) Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 6,913,619 
			  DEL non cash 9,000,691 
			  Grants 1,025 
			  Operating A-in-A -228,325 
			  Total DEL 15,687,010 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash 83,696 
			  AME A-in-A  
			  Total AME 83,696 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget A-in-A -4 
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget -4 
			  CDEL 7,155,853 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A -232 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 7,155,621 
			 Total Defence Equipment and Support  22,926,323 
			
			  Science and Technology Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 541,908 
			  DEL non cash -4,891 
			  Grants 4,101 
			  Operating A-in-A  
			  Total DEL 541,118 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash  
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL  
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total Science and Technology  541,118 
			
			  Defence Estates (formerly part of Central TLB) Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 1,111,564 
			  DEL non cash 1,562,269 
			  Grants  
			  Operating A-in-A -176,247 
			  Total DEL 2,497,586 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash  
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 3,141 
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 3,141 
			  CDEL 242,472 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A -353,000 
			  Capital non budget 1,904 
			  Total Capital -108,624 
			 Total Defence Estates  2,392,103 
			
			 Total RfR1  40,157,727 
			
			  RfR2   
			  Conflict Prevention RfR2 Administration Budget (See Note 1)  
			  DEL near cash 44,303 
			  DEL non cash  
			  Grants  
			  Operating A-in-A  
			  Total DEL 44,303 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash  
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL  
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total Conflict Prevention RfR2  44,303 
			
			  RfR3   
			  War Pensions and Benefits RfR3 Admin budget  
			  DEL near cash  
			  DEL non cash  
			  Grants  
			  Operating A-in-A  
			  Total DEL 0 
			  AME near cash  
			  grants 1,027,582 
			  AME non cash -575 
			  Total AME 1,027,007 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL  
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A  
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A  
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total War Pensions and Benefits RfR3  1,027,007 
			
			 MOD Total  41,229,037 
		
	
	
		
			  Ministry of Defence breakdown of winter supplementary estimates 2008-09 
			  TLB  Estimate type  Winter supplementary estimates (£000) 
			  RfR1   
			 Navy Command (incorporates Fleet and 2nd Sea Lord) DEL Near Cash 2,189,879 
			  DEL Non Cash 1,794 
			  Grants 1,831 
			  Operating A-in-A -41,157 
			  Total DEL 2,152,347 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 10,959 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 10,959 
			  CDEL 21,560 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 21,560 
			 Total Navy Command  2,184,866 
			
			 Land Forces (includes AG and Northern Ireland) DEL Near Cash 6,718,380 
			  DEL Non Cash 3,548 
			  Grants 4,136 
			  Operating A-in-A -107,762 
			  Total DEL 6,618,302 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 72,055 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 72,055 
			  CDEL 135,896 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 135,896 
			 Land Forces  6,826,253 
			
			  Air Command DEL Near Cash 2,931,287 
			  DEL Non Cash 2,858 
			  Grants 3,099 
			  Operating A-in-A -168,113 
			  Total DEL 2,769,131 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 7,589 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 7,589 
			  CDEL 22,855 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 22,855 
			 Total Air Command  2,799,575 
			
			  Chief of Joint Operations DEL Near Cash 395,501 
			  DEL Non Cash 7,326 
			  Grants 0 
			  Operating A-in-A -25,489 
			  Total DEL 377,338 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 56,349 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 56,349 
			 Total Chief of Joint Operations  433,687 
			
			  Central DEL Near Cash 1,788,874 
			  DEL Non Cash 239,775 
			  Grants 189,958 
			  Operating A-in-A -335,848 
			  Total DEL 1,882,759 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Grants 0 
			  AME Non Cash -12 
			  AME A in A 0 
			  Total AME -12 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Grants 830 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 830 
			  CDEL 304,930 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A -272,115 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 32,815 
			 Total Central  1,916,392 
			
			  Defence Equipment and Support DEL Near Cash 6,180,904 
			  DEL Non Cash 9,179,048 
			  Grants 1,051 
			  Operating A-in-A -192,471 
			  Total DEL 15,168,532 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash -84,762 
			  AME A-in-A 0 
			  Total AME -84,762 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget A-in-A -4 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget -4 
			  CDEL 6,350,573 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 6,350,573 
			 Total Defence Equipment and Support  21,434,339 
			
			  Science, Innovation, Technology DEL Near Cash 503,283 
			  DEL Non Cash -5,603 
			  Grants 4,204 
			  Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total DEL 501,884 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 0 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total Science, Innovation, Technology  501,884 
			
			  Defence Estates DEL Near Cash 1,497,093 
			  DEL Non Cash 1,511,768 
			  Grants 0 
			  Operating A-in-A -371,944 
			  Total DEL 2,636,917 
			  Resource AME 0 
			  Capital AME 0 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 3,026 
			  Total Non Budget 3,026 
			  CDEL 502,997 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A -203,000 
			  Capital Non Budget 2,019 
			  Total Capital 302,016 
			 Total Defence Estates  2,941,959 
			
			  Administration Budget DEL Near Cash 2,294,096 
			  DEL Non Cash 0 
			  Grants 0 
			  Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total DEL 2,294,096 
			  Resource AME 0 
			  Capital AME 0 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 0 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Capital Non budget 0 
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total Administration Budget  2,294,096 
			
			 Total RfR1  41,333,051 
			
			  RfR2   
			  Programme Rest of the World DEL Near Cash 46,966 
			  DEL Non Cash 0 
			  Grants 0 
			  Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total DEL 46,966 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 0 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total Programme Rest of the World  46,966 
			
			  Stabilisation Aid Fund DEL Near Cash 27,030 
			  DEL Non Cash 0 
			  Grants 0 
			  Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total DEL 27,030 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 0 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total Stabilisation Aid Fund  27,030 
			
			  Peace Keeping and Operation (Afghanistan and Iraq) DEL Near Cash 2,302,000 
			  DEL Non Cash 350,000 
			  Grants 0 
			  Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total DEL 2,652,000 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 1,063,000 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 1,063,000 
			 Total Peace Keeping and Operation (Afghanistan and Iraq)  3,715,000 
			
			 Total RfR 2  3,788,996 
			
			  RfR3   
			  War Pensions and Benefits Programme Costs DEL Near Cash 0 
			  DEL Non Cash 0 
			  Grants 0 
			  Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total DEL 0 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  Grants 1,015,102 
			  AME Non Cash -512 
			  Total AME 1,014,590 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 0 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total War Pensions and Benefits Programme Costs  1,014,590 
			
			  War Pensions and Benefits Programme Costs - Far Eastern Prisoners of War DEL Near Cash 0 
			  DEL Non Cash 0 
			  Grants 0 
			  Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total DEL 0 
			  AME Near Cash 0 
			  Grants 500 
			  AME Non Cash 0 
			  Total AME 500 
			  Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			  Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			  CDEL 0 
			  CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			  Total Capital 0 
			 Total War Pensions and Benefits Programme Costs - Far Eastern Prisoners of War  500 
			
			 Total RfR 3  1,015,090 
			
			 MoD Total  46,137,137 
		
	
	
		
			  Summary of RfRs 
			   £000 
			  Breakdown RfR1  
			 Administration Budget 2,294,096 
			 DEL Near Cash 22,205,201 
			 DEL Non Cash 10,940,514 
			 Grants 204,279 
			 Operating A-in-A -1,242,784 
			 AME Near Cash 0 
			 AME Non Cash -84,774 
			 AME Grants 0 
			 Resource AME 0 
			 Capital AME 0 
			 AME A in A 0 
			 Non Budget Near Cash 90,603 
			 Non Budget Grants 830 
			 Non Budget Non Cash 3,026 
			 Non Budget A-in-A -4 
			 CDEL 7,395,160 
			 CDEL Non Operating A-in-A -475,115 
			 AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			 Capital Non Budget 2,019 
			 Total 41,333,051 
			   
			  Breakdown RfR2  
			 Administration Budget 0 
			 DEL Near Cash 2,375,996 
			 DEL Non Cash 350,000 
			 Grants 0 
			 Operating A-in-A 0 
			 AME Near Cash 0 
			 AME Non Cash 0 
			 AME Grants 0 
			 Resource AME 0 
			 Capital AME 0 
			 AME A in A 0 
			 Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			 Non Budget Grants 0 
			 Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			 Non Budget A-in-A 0 
			 CDEL 1,063,000 
			 CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			 AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			 Capital Non budget 0 
			 Total 3,788,996 
			   
			  Breakdown RfR3  
			 Administration Budget 0 
			 DEL Near Cash 0 
			 DEL Non Cash 0 
			 Grants 0 
			 Operating A-in-A 0 
			 AME Near Cash 0 
			 AME Non Cash -512 
			 AME Grants 1,015,602 
			 Resource AME 0 
			 Capital AME 0 
			 AME A in A 0 
			 Non Budget Near Cash 0 
			 Non Budget Grants 0 
			 Non Budget Non Cash 0 
			 Non Budget A-in-A 0 
			 CDEL 0 
			 CDEL Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			 AME Non Operating A-in-A 0 
			 Capital Non budget 0 
			 Total 1,015,090 
			   
			 Grand Total 46,137,137

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Badgers

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the badger population in each of the counties of England in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Surveys of badger populations in Great Britain were undertaken in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. In the mid-1980s the badger population was estimated to be 250,000 badgers and in the mid-1990s a survey estimated the population had increased by 77 per cent.
	DEFRA is not aware of any other national surveys which have attempted to estimate badger numbers in each of the counties of England.
	DEFRA does not have regional breakdowns of these figures.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of dairy herds in each local authority area are under restrictions following a bovine tuberculosis breakdown.

Jane Kennedy: Bovine tuberculosis data are only collated on a county or regional basis and therefore it is not possible to break the data down by local authority area or by herd type.
	A full county breakdown of TB herd statistics for 1998-2007 is available on the DEFRA website. The latest provisional county and regional statistics for 2008 are also published on the DEFRA website.

Carbon Neutral Newcastle

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants his Department has given to Carbon Neutral Newcastle; on what dates those grants were made; and for what objectives and purposes.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 27 January 2009
	Carbon Neutral Newcastle set up a charity Carbon Neutral North East to help deliver its objective of making Newcastle the first carbon neutral city in the world. It delivers elements of the city's climate change strategy, helping people and businesses understand their impact on climate change and providing them with information and support. Carbon Neutral North East also has the wider remit of promoting similar schemes and spreading the low carbon agenda through the north-east.
	A grant was made from the Climate Challenge Fund over 2006-07 and 2007-08 to Carbon Neutral North East for a travelling outreach programme using a 'Climate Dome'. This housed an exhibition about climate change, which brought information to the public throughout the north-east region. The Climate Challenge Fund was part of the Climate Change Communications Initiative granting funding to projects across England to encourage more positive attitudes towards tackling climate change. These projects worked through community-based organisations and other trusted intermediaries and used creative communications.
	The dates and amounts of grants were as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 207,746 
			 2007-08 188,275 
			 Total 396,021 
		
	
	I understand this to be the total sum of grants DEFRA made to Carbon Neutral Newcastle. However, officials are still completing their research into the matter, and if any other grants are identified I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Regulations

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many regulations were  (a) implemented and  (b) revoked by his Department in 2008.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In 2008, DEFRA completed the making of 87 statutory instruments. Of these two were signed on behalf of the Forestry Commissioners, and one on behalf of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority, and two were Orders of the Privy Council.
	These statutory instruments revoked 110 enactments, that is to say where all or nearly all of the statutory instrument (or Act in a small number of cases) was revoked.

Flood Control: EC Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in implementing the EU Floods Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We intend to consult on arrangements for implementing the directive in England this spring, alongside the draft Floods and Water Bill.

Flood Control: EC Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial and economic impact assessment has been made of the implementation of the EU Floods Directive.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Impact assessments have been published for many elements of the directive, for example, as part of the Government's response to Sir Michael Pitt's Review of the Summer 2007 floods, which was published in December 2008. Further impact assessments will be published whenever measures to implement the directive are proposed or consulted upon. An example of this will be the impact assessment to be published alongside the consultation document for the draft Floods and Water Bill, which we are intending to publish this spring.

Flood Control: EC Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the implementation of the EU Floods Directive; what response he made; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We continue to have discussions with the Environment Agency, the devolved Administrations and other interested parties about the implementation of the directive upon which we shall consult this spring.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Somerset

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plant breeding methods were used to produce the GM-contaminated oilseed rape seeds in Somerset in 2008;
	(2)  at what location GM-contaminated oilseed rape seeds were grown in Somerset in 2008;
	(3)  whether the variety of GM-contaminated oilseed rape seeds grown in Somerset in 2008 was  (a) listed on and  (b) awaiting approval for the National List of Varieties;
	(4)  what the country of origin was of the GM-contaminated rape seeds grown in Somerset in 2008;
	(5)  what steps were taken to protect against the GM-contamination of the oilseed rape seeds found to be contaminated with GM material grown in Somerset in 2008  (a) during cultivation and  (b) post-harvest;
	(6)  whether the areas immediately surrounding the GM-contaminated oilseed rape seeds grown in Somerset in 2008 have been examined for potential GM-contamination.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The affected trial grown in Somerset was of a new variety of conventionally bred, open-pollinated oilseed rape. The seed was imported from the USA with a view to being grown in various trials in the UK. This included national list trials, for which an application was made a year after the Somerset trial was sown. However, these did not take place and the variety has been withdrawn from the national list process. The trial in Somerset was carried out privately on behalf of the company that owns and imported the seed.
	The conventional seed had a low level of GM seed mixed within it (0.05 per cent. or one in every 2,000 seeds), of a type approved by the European Union for food and animal feed use, but not for cultivation. It did not become known that the seed planted in Somerset had this GM content until after the trial had been harvested. As such, no measures were applied during cultivation to limit the potential dispersal of GM material. After harvest the farmer contracted to grow the trial left the ground fallow and let his livestock graze on emerging oilseed rape 'volunteer' plants (those that grow from seed shed at harvest). The farmer is being advised by the GM Inspectorate on the best way to further manage and reduce any volunteers. Given the low level of GM seed originally sown and the farmer's action post-harvest, it is not expected that GM volunteers will be a significant issue.
	A separate trial of a different variety of conventional oilseed rape was grown immediately adjacent to the affected trial crop by the same farmer. Testing indicates that as a result of cross-pollination this adjacent crop acquired a very low adventitious GM presence (less than 0.01 per cent.). No other crops were grown in the vicinity of the affected trial, including on neighbouring farms, that might have been subject to GM cross-pollination. In this situation, it is not proposed to monitor the local area for potential contamination. The accidental sowing of the GM seed has not posed any risk to human health and the environment, and nor should there be any economic prejudice to neighbouring farmers through possible cross-pollination.
	The affected trial took place within the south Somerset district council area. We do not think it would be appropriate to disclose the precise location, in part because it might deter people from coming forward with information about potential unauthorised GM releases, which would not be in the public interest. However, we are currently considering requests to release the exact location under the Environmental Information Regulations.

Marine Management Organisation: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the cost of establishing the Marine Management Organisation, broken down by budget heading.

Huw Irranca-Davies: A current estimate of the cost of establishing the Marine Management Organisation, which is currently not broken down by budget heading, can be found in the Impact Assessment for the Marine and Coastal Access Bill. This is available on the DEFRA website.

Pesticides

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with  (a) his counterparts and  (b) farming industry representatives from (i) other EU member states, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales on (A) current and proposed EU pesticide regulations, (B) the import of farm products from countries outside the EU and (C) proposed changes to the EU modulation regime; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The UK's negotiating position on the proposed authorisation regulation for plant protection products was adopted in consultation with other Departments and the devolved administrations through the Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development's sub-committee on Europe. Ministers worked extremely hard throughout the negotiations to secure a balanced outcome, and held bilateral meetings with Commissioner Vassiliou, Ministers of other member states, and key stakeholders on the proposals and its potential impacts. It remains unclear how the introduction of the regulation will affect the import of produce from outside the EU.
	The Secretary of State had numerous discussions with other member states, devolved administrations and stakeholders on the CAP Health Check, including changes to the EU modulation regime. These helped to achieve an increased focus on environmental benefits across Europe, by increasing the rate of compulsory modulation to 10 per cent. by 2012, and therefore the share of CAP funding that goes towards environment and rural development schemes. As part of this, the Secretary of State met Ministers from other member states, including France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark and Hungary, as well as Commissioner Fischer-Boel. In their approach to the health check negotiations, the Government worked closely with the devolved Administrations, both through ministerial meetings and technical discussions between officials, and with stakeholders, including through ministerial meetings and a public consultation.

Pesticides

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effects of a reduction in pesticides usage on levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 27 January 2009
	My Department is currently not conducting any assessments of the effects of a reduction in pesticides usage on levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

Water Supply

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking in its formulation of policy to take account of the impact which climate change will have on England's water resources; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many water abstractions have been restored to permitted levels since the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme was launched in 1999; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to prevent over-abstraction of water from rivers, wetlands, lakes and groundwaters; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In April 2007, it became a statutory requirement for water companies to prepare and maintain previously voluntary water resources management plans. The water resources management plans look ahead 25 years and include projections of current and future demands for water, and how the companies aim to meet this demand.
	In their plans, water companies must take into account the implications of climate change in their supply and demand forecasts, and include an assessment of the impact of each water resource supply option in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
	The Environment Agency has responsibility for managing water resources. The Agency's forthcoming Water Resources Strategy will include the actions that will need to be taken to ensure enough water for people and the environment. It has been informed by research into future river flows to 2050 and groundwater resources to the 2020s and 2030s.
	The Environment Agency is the statutory body with a duty to manage water resources in England and Wales and is taking forward the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction (RSA) programme. To date, the RSA has been limited to identifying the sites where abstraction is at unsustainable levels. It has carried out investigations to identify where changes to abstraction regimes are necessary. In many cases those investigations have concluded that the licensed abstractions are having no adverse effect on the environment. Therefore no action to alter licensed abstractions is necessary.
	Of the 2,970 Water Resources licences that have been assessed under the habitats regulations review of consents because they were likely to cause a significant effect on high priority Natura 2000 sites (that is special areas of conservation (SAC) and special protection areas (SPA)), 274 have been found to require an options appraisal to remove a possible adverse effect. In 2,696 cases it could be shown that there was no adverse effect on site integrity and therefore no action was required. Further work is required on medium and low priority sites but to date this relates to less than 10 per cent. of the abstraction licences in England and Wales.
	It may also be necessary to take action on other sites not designated under the Habitats and Birds Directives or as SSSIs.
	The first cycle of the Environment Agency's Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies has helped to improve the Agency's knowledge of where there may be problems of unsustainable abstraction around the country and of specific sites that will require further investigation through RSA.
	RSA will also contribute to the Water Framework Directive (WFD) by providing a framework to restore unsustainable abstraction and work towards achieving the WFD target of meeting good ecological status by 2015.
	The Agency is expecting to start taking action to revoke or modify abstraction licences at those sites where this is deemed necessary in 2009-10.
	Water companies in England have indicated that they intend to take account of the habitats directive changes in their water resource management plans and work with the Environment Agency to resolve unsustainable abstractions. This will mean that some of the licences that have the biggest impacts on some of England's most important conservation sites will be resolved by voluntary changes.

Water Supply

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Ofwat takes account of the effects of climate change in its periodic review of water prices; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Ofwat sets out in its documents "Setting Price Limits for 2010-15: Framework and approach" and "Capital Expenditure for 2010-15: Ofwat's views on companies' draft business plans" how it is taking into account the impact of climate change for the 2009 price review. These documents are available from the Ofwat website.

WALES

Economic Inactivity

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on levels of economic inactivity in Wales.

Paul Murphy: I have had many recent discussions with the First Minister about economic inactivity in Wales.
	We are working together to help create jobs and help people get back to work, while ensuring that those who cannot work receive the support they need.

Job Losses

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of job losses in Wales since 1 December 2008.

Wayne David: Labour Market Statistics figures for December will not be published until next month.
	However, working alongside the Welsh Assembly Government, we are doing everything we can to help individuals back into work.

Banking Assistance: Small Businesses

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on policy to ensure banks in receipt of public support assist small businesses in Wales.

Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with the First Minister about assistance for small businesses in Wales, not least, at the All Wales Economic summits that I attend.

Defence Training Review

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the implications for Wales of the defence training review programme.

Wayne David: The St. Athan Defence Training Academy is a very important project for Wales. The substantial investment of Package 1 will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs both during construction and from 2013, when construction is completed.

Marine and Coastal Access Bill

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will work with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the National Assembly for Wales to ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill in Welsh waters.

Wayne David: I have discussed the implementation of new marine legislation with the Welsh Assembly Government. This Government and the Welsh Assembly Government are committed to working together constructively to ensure their successful implementation.

Manufacturing Companies

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the cash flow of manufacturing companies in Wales.

Paul Murphy: Through my work on the National Economic Council and the All Wales Economic Forum, I am in touch with economic developments at the heart of Government and directly from the people of Wales.
	Last week, I had also had a constructive meeting with David Rosser (Director CBI) and will be meeting FSB on Monday.

Small Businesses

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the levels of support from the Government available to small businesses in Wales.

Paul Murphy: Small businesses in Wales have a tremendous amount of support from both the UK and Welsh Assembly governments (WAG), such as the recently announced package of a £10 billion working capital fund, Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme, and the Capital for Enterprise Fund.
	Further, the Welsh Assembly government's Flexible Support for Business scheme provides help and advice as well as operating the Single Investment Fund. Businesses in Wales also benefit from assistance with their tax liabilities from the HMRC Business Support Service.

Public Expenditure

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the level of public expenditure per head of population in Wales was in 2008.

Wayne David: Figures for total identifiable public expenditure per head in Wales are published retrospectively by the Treasury as a Command Paper. Figures for 2008 are not yet available.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years.

Paul Murphy: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	For correspondence from members of the public, information for the current year cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. The Wales Office aims to respond to all written correspondence within 15 working days. As reported in the Department's Annual Reports, 91 per cent. were answered within the timescale in 2007-08, 93 per cent. in 2006-07, and 94 per cent. in 2005-06.

TRANSPORT

Airwave Service: Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Airwave handsets issued to the Marine and Coastguard Agency have been lost in each year since their introduction; and how many handsets issued to the Agency have been disabled by the service provider through  (a) loss,  (b) breakage and  (c) other reasons in each such year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has never been issued with an Airwave handset.
	The MCA has a fixed set and not a handset as stated in the written answer to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) on 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 27W.
	A correction has been issued.

Aviation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air passenger movements there were through the UK in each of the last three years; and what estimate his Department has made of the number in each year to 2014.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Civil Aviation Authority statistics on the number of terminal passengers at UK airports are reported in Transport Statistics Great Britain 2008', available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/.
	The Department for Transport's forecasts of terminal passengers are reported in 'UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts 2009', available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pqr/aviation/atf/
	The following table shows: Civil Aviation Authority statistics on the number of terminal passengers at UK airports in 2005, 2006, and 2007; and, the Department for Transport's forecasts of the same for 2008 to 2014.
	
		
			Passengers (million) 
			 Outturn 2005 228 
			  2006 235 
			  2007 241 
			 Forecast 2008 240 
			  2009 245 
			  2010 258 
			  2011 268 
			  2012 277 
			  2013 288 
			  2014 299 
		
	
	The forecasts of terminal passengers exclude some of the smallest UK airports covered by the outturn statistics. These account for around three million passengers per annum.

Aviation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the research underlying figures 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 in his Department's publication UK Air Passenger Demand and carbon dioxide forecasts.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The research underlying figures 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 of "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts 2009" is set out in chapter 2 of the same report, with further detail in annexes A-D.

Bus Services: Concessions

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 12 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1166-7W, on bus services: concessions, what discussions the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee has had with the Mental Health Action Group on access to free bus travel concessions.

Paul Clark: There has been no formal discussion between the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) and the Mental Health Action Group on access to free bus travel concessions.
	However, the Mental Health Action Group has been invited to attend and speak at one of DPTAC's future working group meetings.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made on its study on a second Dartford crossing; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport commissioned in February 2008 a study to provide advice on the future need for additional crossing capacity in the lower Thames and identify possible future options.
	The study looks to make best use of available transport models to better understand the impacts of current and future demand, and review previous work on what can be done to improve traffic flow through the existing Dartford crossing in the short to medium term.
	The study work is nearing completion and we expect to receive the report of the study shortly. Following receipt, Ministers will consider the findings and recommendations of the study, to inform decisions on options to address the short, medium and longer term transport challenges associated with current cross-Thames movements in the area.

Departmental Consultancies

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what payments the  (a) Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Agency,  (b) Vehicle and Operator Services Agency,  (c) Driving Standards Agency,  (d) Vehicle Certification Agency,  (e) Highways Agency,  (f) Maritime and Coastguard Agency and  (g) Government Car and Despatch Agency has made to (i) management consultancies, (ii) public affairs consultancies, (iii) public relations consultancies, (iv) advertising agencies and (v) other external consultancies in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what payments his Department has made to  (a) management consultancies,  (b) public affairs consultancies,  (c) public relations consultancies,  (d) advertising agencies and  (e) other external consultancies in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: Lists have been placed in the Libraries of the House which show the supplier and (where possible) the value and the nature of the consultancy work recorded within the Department for Transport and its agencies accounting systems as consultancy during the four financial years between 2004-05 and 2007-08. Similar data for 2003-04 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The breakdown of consultancy as requested in the question is not held centrally and to attempt to provide it now would incur disproportionate cost.
	The business units within the Department currently use separate accounting systems which record expenditure differently. The totals include a mixture of committed spend (i.e. orders raised) and actual spend incurred. The Professional Services Forum definition of consultancy has been applied since 2005-06 resulting in more accurate coding of expenditure.
	Details of payments to advertising agencies are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Most payments relating to advertising expenditure are however made to the Central Office of Information.
	The majority of campaign advertising investment by the Department is in support of marketing activities on the THINK! Road safety campaign, Act on CO2 campaign, Concessionary Bus Fares campaign, aviation security and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's continuous registration campaign. Advertising expenditure is the largest value component of the Department's marketing expenditure.

Driving: Licensing

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving licences were reported lost or stolen in the last 12 months; and how many valid driving licences there were in that period.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In the last 12 months 7.5 million driving licences have been issued, including 857,000 issued to replace those reported as lost or stolen. During the same period DVLA held 42.3 million driver records each of which could have a licence issued against it.

Heathrow Airport

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when meetings were held between  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials and  (b) both Ministers and officials in his Department with representatives of BAA to discuss proposals for Heathrow Airport in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Ministers have met BAA representatives on 17 occasions since January 2006 to discuss a range of matters related to BAA's UK airports, including Heathrow. BAA met regularly with officials to provide technical and operational expertise.
	For propriety reasons, there has been no substantive discussion of Heathrow airport development issues with BAA since the launch of the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" consultation in November 2007 and neither Ministers nor officials have met BAA representatives to discuss such issues since the Secretary of State announced his decisions on 15 January.

Heathrow Airport: Public Consultation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the responses to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation  (a) expressed support for,  (b) expressed opposition to and  (c) were neutral on the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The consultation did not request views in this format. But an independent assessment of the nearly 70,000 responses received records 8,128 people giving "generic support for expansion" while 16,662 said they "did not want a third runway built at Heathrow". That suggests around 45,000 respondents did not express a clear view either way on a third runway. The full details can be found in the report 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport: Report on consultation responses (Ipsos MORI/Detica)' on the Department's website.

Heathrow Airport: Public Consultation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to publish the responses to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow consultation in full.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A report on the analysis of responses to the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation was published on 15 January together with other material referred to in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's statement on Britain's transport infrastructure. In addition, all of the nearly 70,000 consultation responses may be viewed by appointment at the Department for Transport's offices.
	Details are on the Department's website:
	www.dft.gov.uk.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations his Department has received from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency on the release of vehicle odometer reading data from MOT testing.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There have been no recent discussions between the Department and The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) on the release of vehicle odometer reading data from MOT testing. VOSA is still considering the benefits and legal issues associated with the further release of such data to non-public bodies. Whether this proceeds will be subject to VOSA/DfT approval processes and overall Agency priorities.

Railway Electrification

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will commission research into the effects of the electrification of heavily-used rail services in major urban conurbations.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is working closely with the rail industry to examine the costs and benefits of further rail electrification. A decision on electrification will be announced later this year.

Railways: Bus Services

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers have travelled on rail replacement bus services funded by his Department over the last 10 years.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not routinely collect data on passenger usage of rail replacement passenger services because rail services can be subject to amendment due to planned infrastructure improvements or maintenance works undertaken by Network Rail, especially at weekends. Occasionally, disruption to the rail network (due to signalling failures or other operational difficulties) may result in changes to specified rail services.

Railways: Crimes of Violence

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many assaults on  (a) staff and  (b) passengers on the rail network in each region were recorded in the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many assaults on railway station staff have been recorded in each region in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: This information is not held by the Department for Transport, but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at:
	British Transport Police
	25 Camden Road
	London NW1 9LN
	E-mail: parliament@btp.pnn.police.uk

Railways: Industrial Disputes

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many working days have been lost to strike action by workers on  (a) the national rail network and  (b) the London Underground in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested.
	National rail network information can be obtained from each of the individual train operators, who each hold this level of detail for their own organisation. Company contact details are available from the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC):
	ATOC Ltd.
	3rd Floor
	40 Bernard Street
	London
	WC1N 1BY
	Or via:
	http://www.atoc.org/contact.asp
	For London Underground this information can be obtained by contacting:
	Lucy Webster
	Head of Stakeholder Communications
	London Underground
	55 Broadway
	London
	SW1H 0BD

Railways: Standards

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train services have been cancelled in each year since 1997; how many scheduled train services there have been in each year since 1997, broken down by train operator; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: In 2007-08, the most recent complete year for which data are available, 6,485,787 trains were planned to operate on the network, and 70,903 were fully cancelled.
	For data on previous years, I refer the hon. Member to the answers of 17 September 2008,  Official Report, columns 2246-7W, and 22 March 2006,  Official Report, column 382W.
	The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is responsible for publishing and monitoring data on rail performance, and for a breakdown by individual train operator, the hon. Member may wish to consult ORR's publication 'National Rail Trends' on their website at:
	http://www.rail-req.gov.Uk/server/show/nav.1863

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on building new roads in each region in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The following tables show the available data on regional expenditure on new construction/improvement and structural maintenance on motorways and trunk roads, as well as regional expenditure on new improvement for highways, lighting, road safety and structural maintenance on local roads for 1999-2000 to 2006-07. These data do not enable new road construction to be identified as a separate category.
	
		
			  Motorway and trunk roads :  New construction/improvement and structural maintenance 
			  £ million 
			  Region  1999-2000  2000-01( 1)  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 12.9 14.9 52.0 46.1 34.1 27.2 26.1 46.7 
			 North West 189.5 213.8 157.1 179.1 116.3 156.0 157.6 200.5 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 43.1 50.4 121.4 199.8 76.9 35.7 65.8 73.3 
			 East Midlands 59.6 70.1 107.1 121.4 96.0 120.3 175.8 199.9 
			 West Midlands 109.5 128.9 94.9 101.8 118.1 196.5 226.0 255.8 
			 East of England 79.9 93.4 141.8 133.9 121.7 120.9 164.0 226.2 
			 London 158.0 26.9 28.6 6.3 11.6 24.1 19.7 20.2 
			 South East 209.8 246.5 205.1 215.0 164.2 225.7 253.7 307.4 
			 South West 98.8 115.8 112.2 151.6 117.4 147.0 188.0 290.9 
			 England 961.1 960.7 1,020.4 1,155.1 856.3 1,053.4 1,276.7 1,620.8 
			 (1) Trunk roads in London were transferred to Transport for London in July 2000 and were reclassified as principal roads. Expenditure on these roads from 2000-01 is shown under the "Local roads" heading for London.  Sources: Highways Agency Financial Accounts and local authority returns to Communities; and Local Government 
		
	
	
		
			  Local roads( 1) : New improvement for highways, lighting, road safety and structural maintenance( 2) 
			  £ million 
			  Region  1999-2000  2000-01( 3)  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 99.3 94.7 117.2 145.0 125.2 139.4 148.9 146.7 
			 North West 214.0 199.1 267.2 330.8 338.8 363.6 359.6 333.7 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 134.8 167.9 195.2 215.9 222.5 247.0 266.9 287.6 
			 East Midlands 97.2 127.1 178.9 212.5 207.9 269.1 252.8 236.0 
			 West Midlands 147.3 167.6 207.6 266.7 235.5 265.6 263.3 301.9 
			 East of England 144.3 146.6 243.5 273.7 283.3 309.6 364.0 363.1 
			 London 206.3 350.6 315.1 489.0 414.1 382.3 428.0 411.7 
			 South East 215.2 188.0 254.8 322.4 317.3 370.8 377.9 358.7 
			 South West 136.5 148.0 203.0 228.6 239.2 265.9 311.9 290.5 
			 England 1,394.9 1,589.6 1,982.4 2,484.7 2,378.8 2,613.4 2,773.2 2,730.0 
			 (1) Local authority expenditure excludes car parks. (2) Includes expenditure on patching. (3) Trunk roads in London were transferred to Transport for London in July 2000 and were reclassified as principal roads. Expenditure on these roads from 2000-01 is shown under the "Local roads" heading for London.  Sources: Highways Agency Financial Accounts and local authority returns to Communities and Local Government 
		
	
	This information is available in table 5.4 of 'Regional Transport Statistics' publication at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/regionaldata/rts/

Roads: Safety

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much capital funding his Department provided for road safety schemes in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what funding his Department has provided for highway maintenance and improvement in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside and  (c) the North East in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: I have placed details in the House Libraries of relevant funding from the Department for Transport provided to local authorities in the north-east. The funding streams covered are:
	(a) Block capital funding made available to local authorities since 2000-01 as part of the LTP settlement. This funding is not ring fenced. Integrated block funding is allocated at the Tyne and Wear plan level. Capital highway maintenance funding is allocated to local highway authorities. The table includes aggregate figures for funding provided prior to the introduction of the LTP settlement.
	(b) PFI credits allocated to signed street lighting contracts in the north-east.
	(c) Revenue and capital funding provided to north-east authorities since 2001-02 for the maintenance of recently detrunked roads. This funding is also not ring fenced. A three year settlement covering 2008-09 to 2010-11 has been made for revenue allocations for detrunked roads.
	(d) Funding provided for emergency repairs following flooding to north-east local highways in 2001-02.
	(e) Capital funding that the Department has contributed to major local authority road schemes (generally costing over £5 million). The table shows schemes completed since 2000 and those currently being delivered.
	(f) Since 2007-08, local authorities have received specific road safety grant. As with integrated block funding, this is allocated at the Tyne and Wear plan level. The distribution of the funding within Tyne and Wear is determined by the local authorities within the road safety partnership. Since 2007, road safety partnership grant has also been allocated to local authorities.
	Local authorities are also provided with financial support for road maintenance and road safety schemes through the Revenue Support Grant (RSG), administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government. There is no separately identified highways maintenance component in RSG and it is for each authority to determine how much of it should be allocated to their highway network.
	Information is not held centrally on what Gateshead metropolitan borough council and South Tyneside metropolitan council, which cover the Jarrow constituency, have spent within the boundaries of the constituency.
	The Highways Agency's reporting systems does not record actual expenditure on a constituency or regional basis. Estimates are compiled for regional expenditure to supplement data reported in the Department's annual report. The estimates for the north-east have been placed in the House Libraries.

Roads: Tolls

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings  (a) he and  (b) officials from his Department have had since 12 December 2008 with potential providers to discuss the technology and infrastructure required for congestion charging.

Paul Clark: Since 12 December 2008, no Department for Transport Minister has met with any potential providers on the technology and infrastructure required for congestion charging.
	Department for Transport officials responsible for the demonstrations project have, however, in that period had a number of contractual progress meetings with each of the seven framework contractors for the project.
	On 18 December, other departmental officials met a group of technical experts and other stakeholders working to promote interoperability across existing and already planned road pricing schemes.

Rolling Stock: Competition

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the recent findings of the Competition Commission on the market for the leasing of rolling stock for franchised passenger services; and what steps he plans to take in response to the Commission's recommendations for Government.

Paul Clark: The Competition Commission investigation is ongoing and the Department for Transport looks forward to the final report.
	The department continues to engage with the Competition Commission on the recommendations.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras have been installed on public roads in each year since 1997, broken down by police authority area; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department only holds information about the number of safety camera sites (covering both fixed and mobile camera enforcement) operating within the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales which started in 2001 and ended on 31 March 2007. The information relates to partnership areas which may consist of more than one police force area.
	The following table shows the number of speed camera sites operating within the national programme within each year using the "date established" supplied by the safety camera partnerships. Different areas entered the national programme on different dates, and in many cases had established camera sites before joining the programme which are not shown in the table.
	Since 1 April 2007 the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships. The number of cameras in place since then will therefore be a matter for each individual partnership.
	
		
			  Camera sites by area and year 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 104 189 228 247 247 247 247 
			 Bedfordshire 30 88 90 95 114 114 114 
			 Cambridgeshire 36 56 67 74 88 92 92 
			 Cheshire 18 26 54 64 75 80 80 
			 Cleveland 34 38 47 52 52 54 54 
			 Cumbria 0 0 35 35 39 44 44 
			 Derbyshire 45 73 108 123 127 128 128 
			 Devon and Cornwall 55 95 105 124 145 147 147 
			 Dorset 29 51 92 99 102 105 105 
			 Essex 117 126 159 168 215 220 220 
			 Gloucestershire 29 29 60 72 72 72 72 
			 Greater Manchester 67 79 135 153 261 268 271 
			 Hampshire 19 22 50 61 66 68 68 
			 Hertfordshire 23 23 51 63 80 94 95 
			 Humberside 0 0 64 77 81 81 82 
			 Kent and Medway 38 62 96 118 126 129 129 
			 Lancashire 63 150 268 338 344 345 345 
			 Leicestershire 7 65 77 83 83 88 88 
			 Lincolnshire 25 38 48 57 60 61 61 
			 London 294 305 323 352 403 439 439 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 24 46 51 
			 Mid and South Wales 74 266 327 353 354 355 355 
			 Norfolk 8 14 24 29 31 37 37 
			 North Wales 27 28 66 72 73 73 73 
			 Northamptonshire 26 28 35 39 77 84 84 
			 Northumbria 34 34 103 121 121 126 126 
			 Nottinghamshire 10 44 44 53 55 62 62 
			 South Yorkshire 35 112 119 119 119 119 119 
			 Staffordshire 54 55 65 81 98 98 98 
			 Suffolk 1 3 47 55 55 55 55 
			 Surrey 15 16 16 16 21 23 30 
			 Sussex 25 50 58 69 77 78 81 
			 Thames Valley 213 266 269 274 275 275 275 
			 Warwickshire 8 20 21 34 34 37 37 
			 West Mercia 0 0 40 53 56 60 63 
			 West Mids 97 100 116 141 155 161 161 
			 West Yorkshire 6 27 47 79 83 86 86 
			 Wiltshire 6 23 50 62 62 63 63 
			 Grand total 1,672 2,601 3,604 4,105 4,550 4,714 4,737

Transport: Expenditure

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on transport projects in each local authority area in England in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Most transport projects in local authority areas are the responsibility of the relevant local transport authority. The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block and highways maintenance funding to local transport authorities for general capital investment in transport services. This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities.
	Where authorities wish to pursue major schemes they may seek additional funding from the Department, subject to prioritisation of their proposal by the region. Certain other projects may also be eligible for specific grants from time to time.
	Details of the capital funding made available to each local transport authority in local transport settlements are available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/capital/.
	The Department spends funds on the strategic road network through the Highways Agency (HA). The HA's reporting systems do not record actual expenditure for local authority areas; expenditure is recorded by project and activity. Estimates are compiled for regional expenditure to supplement data reported in the Department's annual report.
	Likewise, funding for other transport projects in England, such as rail projects, is not available on the basis of local authority boundaries.

Transport: Expenditure

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what transport projects have been announced by the Government and subsequently cancelled in each year since 1997; how much has been spent on each such project prior to cancellation; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not collect this information.

PRIME MINISTER

Adela Mahoro Mugabo

John Leech: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to his answer of 19 March 2008,  Official Report, column 922, at Prime Minister's questions, what consideration he has given to the case of Ms Adela Mahoro Mugabo.

Gordon Brown: I wrote to the hon. Member on 4 April 2008 on this matter.

BAA

Justine Greening: To ask the Prime Minister what  (a) meetings and  (b) correspondence he and officials in No. 10 Downing Street have had with representatives from BAA since 3 October 2008; when each meeting took place; who attended each meeting; and what the subject of each meeting was.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings and correspond with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

Domestic Visits: Costs

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost of hotel accommodation for the tour undertaken by Ministers between 7 and 9 January 2009 was; and in which hotels accommodation for the tour was booked.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1429W.

Intelligence Services

William Hague: To ask the Prime Minister whether new procedures for  (a) the analysis and  (b) the publication of intelligence material have been put in place since he became Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: Since I became Prime Minister the arrangements for the analysis and publication of intelligence material put in place, and the appointments made, have been consistent with the recommendations of Lord Butler's Review.
	I announced to the House in my National Security Statement on 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 841-45, the separation of the position of JIC Chairman from policy adviser to the Government to ensure that assessments are formulated independently and that the Professional Head of Intelligence Analysis role created following Lord Butler's Review would be fulfilled by the JIC Chairman. Last year I also published the National Security Strategy and the National Risk Register.
	Following resolutions in both Houses, appointments to the ISC are now made on the basis of nominations by Parliament. Debates on ISC reports will in future take place in both Houses and will be introduced by the Chairman of the ISC or the appropriate ISC member. Arrangements have been made to strengthen further the ISC's ability to scrutinise financial matters and the process of recruiting a general investigator has begun.

Internet

Nick Hurd: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many staff in each pay grade work on the No. 10 Downing Street YouTube video platform;
	(2)  how many staff work to (a) maintain and  (b) supply content for the Ask the PM YouTube channel;
	(3)  how much has been spent on website designers to design the Ask the PM YouTube video platform;
	(4)  how many  (a) hits and  (b) unique visitors the Ask the PM YouTube channel has received since its establishment;
	(5)  how many video submissions from members of the public have been  (a) received and  (b) answered since the launch of the Ask the PM YouTube channel.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1481-82W. Further information requested is available on the Downing street YouTube channel at:
	http://uk.youtube.com/user/DowningSt.
	A copy of this webpage has been placed in the Library of the House.

Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  which websites are operated by his Office in addition to its main website; and what the operating budget for those websites is;
	(2)  which websites were operated by his Office in addition to its main website in the last five years.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1481-82W.

Ministers

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many people whom he has appointed as Government Ministers in the  (a) House of Lords and  (b) House of Commons accepted their appointment on the basis that their service in Government would be time-limited.

Gordon Brown: As was the case under previous Administrations, ministerial appointments are in the gift of the Prime Minister.

Ministers: Interests

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 470W, on Members' interests, what the reasons are for the time taken to publish the annual statement of Ministers' interests.

Gordon Brown: The list will be published in the near future.

Ministers: Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister what the pension arrangements are for the former Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton.

Gordon Brown: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1070W.

Opposition

Nick Hurd: To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements the Cabinet Secretary plans to establish for talks between permanent secretaries of Government departments and the Official Opposition ahead of the next general election; whether the arrangements will differ from those in previous parliaments; and what discussions he has had on the timetable for such talks.

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister who made the decision to offer meetings with senior civil servants before the next general election to the Liberal Democrats.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 14 January 2009,  Official Report, column 754W.

Sir Fred Goodwin

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will recommend to Her Majesty the Queen that the knighthood awarded to Sir Fred Goodwin for services to banking be withdrawn.

Gordon Brown: The authority to grant and cancel honours is contained in the Statutes of the various Orders of Chivalry.

Sports: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates he has met  (a) Ministers and  (b) UK Sport to discuss the £100 million of private sponsorship for elite athletes announced in the 2006 Budget; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House of Commons: Television

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many television sets are operationally available on the House Estate, broken down by building; and how many such sets are available in hon. Members' offices.

Nick Harvey: The number of annunciator (TV) sets available on the House of Commons estate is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Palace of Westminster 663 
			 No. 1 Parliament St. Phase 1 (N) 47 
			 Derby Gate Residences Ph 1 (Centre) 19 
			 Derby Gate Phase 1 (S) 103 
			 7 Millbank 112 
			 Norman Shaw (North) 154 
			 Norman Shaw (South) 130 
			 2 The Abbey Garden 12 
			 1 Canon Row 30 
			 Portcullis Houses 251 
			 4 Millbank 5th and 6th Floors 32 
			 Total 1,553 
		
	
	All Members' offices are fitted with annunciators, and these are included in the above figures. Records are not kept separately of the number of annunciators which are in Members' offices.

Members: Allowances

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 
	(1)  by what date the House of Commons Commission expects the process of scanning and redacting the receipts for hon. Members' expenses since 2004 to be completed;
	(2)  by what date the House of Commons Commission expects to place the details of hon. Members' expenses since 2004 in the public domain.

Nick Harvey: The scanning and editing of Members' claims, receipts etc. for the years 2004-05 to 2007-08 is well advanced. Once this work is complete, individual hon. Members will need to check the records relating to them, and further editing may then be required. A date for publication cannot yet be set.

Members: Allowances

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission for what reason backdated details of hon. Members' expenses have not yet been published; what factors account for the delay; and if he will ensure that all relevant information will be placed in the public domain by the end of February 2009.

Nick Harvey: The task of scanning and editing for publication a very large amount of information has proved more difficult than originally envisaged when the proposed arrangements for disclosure of Members' expenses down to receipt level were announced last summer. Ensuring that hon. Members' legitimate security and privacy concerns were taken into account has been complex and has required careful attention to over 700,000 individual records. Once scanning and editing has been completed, individual hon. Members will need to check the records relating to them, and further editing may then be required. This process will not be complete by the end of February 2009 and a date for publication cannot yet be set.

Parliament: Heating

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent steps the House authorities  (a) have recently taken and  (b) plan to take to improve the heating within 1 Parliament Street; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The heating in 1 Parliament street is controlled by means of a computerised building management system (BMS). This allows the heating and cooling in each office to be individually monitored and controlled. The original system, installed in 1990, had become obsolete and was replaced by a modern system. The hardware was installed in the 2008 summer recess and the installation of a new control network was completed in November 2008. The arrival of the cold weather in the autumn highlighted a number of software problems which took longer than anticipated to resolve due to the lack of a network, which meant revisiting every office. At the same time, the opportunity was taken to replace any faulty heating or cooling valves and as a result some 50 cooling and 20 heating controls were replaced.
	Now that the new BMS is installed, the method of heating control will be modified from a fixed time based method to the more efficient and accurate 'optimised start' method which ensures that the heating is switched on earlier if the outside air temperature is lower. In addition, a survey of the heating capacity of the boilers and associated pipe-work is planned for the 2009 summer recess. This will identify the heating capacity of the boilers and pipe-work, should larger radiators be required in some offices.

Parliament: Repairs and Maintenance

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate has been made of the cost of repairs to the gates on Derby Gate; what reports he has received on the cause of the damage; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The cost of completed repairs to the gates adjacent to 1 Derby Gate was £1,968.40. There are no reports available as the vehicle damage to the gates was minimal.

Portcullis House: Fire Alarms

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on how many occasions since 1 January 2008 Portcullis House has been evacuated for fire-related reasons; on how many of these occasions a fire was discovered; and what steps the Commission is taking to minimise the number of false alarms.

Nick Harvey: From 1 January 2008 to 21 January 2009 there were five evacuations from Portcullis House. None were actual fires. They were caused by:
	4 March 2008: Technical fault on system—addressed by the fire alarm engineers;
	19 August 2008: Operation of manual call point by persons unknown;
	26 November 2008: Beam detector actuated by fitting of the Christmas lights in the atrium when on one occasion contractors failed to follow correct process—contractors reprimanded and reminded of correct process;
	8 January 2009: Technical fault resulting in actuation of newly installed fire detection camera by art handling activity interfering with beam—camera adjusted to recognise such movements and not activate the alarm; and
	20 January 2009: Detector actuated by fumes from cooking; technical fault on alarm system re-set resulted in evacuation alarm activation—fire alarm engineers are investigating the reason the system would not accept the re-set.
	To minimise disruption to the occupants, a system is operated in Portcullis House whereby upon actuation of smoke/beam/video smoke detectors outside the atrium, the parliamentary fire section has 15 minutes to identify and resolve an incident before the evacuation alarm is automatically activated. Three of the five evacuations in the last 12 months were triggered because it was not possible during the 15 minutes to verify that the building was safe. On the other two occasions, operation of a manual call point and the interruption of a beam detector in the atrium automatically triggered an evacuation. In order to minimise the number of unwanted alarms, a full fire incident investigation is carried out by the parliamentary fire section, fire safety manager and London fire brigade after every incident to establish the cause of the incident and to identify the person(s) responsible. Key personnel involved in the alarm activation are interviewed and remedial action taken. In the case of technical faults, the fire alarm engineers are called to site to investigate and take remedial action. Fire safety training is regularly reviewed and revised to address trends in activation of fire alarms.

JUSTICE

Cannabis: Fixed Penalties

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he has issued on the referral of possession of cannabis cases to the magistrates' courts in circumstances where it followed the issuing of  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three previous penalty notices for disorder to the same individual for the same offence.

Maria Eagle: When penalty notices for disorder become available for the offence of possessing cannabis, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will issue guidance under section 6 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 about their issue.
	Also, the Association of Chief Police Officers will publish revised national guidance for the policing of cannabis possession as a Class B drug in England and Wales. This makes clear that while arrest is always the first option, an adult offender is likely to receive a cannabis warning for a first possession offence, and a penalty notice for disorder for a second offence. A third offence will result in arrest and consideration of likely further action including caution, conditional caution or prosecution. All subsequent offences are likely to result in arrest. If any aggravating factors are present the police will escalate the response accordingly. Ultimately, decisions as to the most appropriate disposal for an offender are made by the police and CPS using their professional judgment and experience.

Conveyancing: Fees and Charges

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  from what date the newly appointed charging fee for local authority property search regulations will be effective;
	(2)  when he expects to publish the charging fee for local authority property search regulations; and what the reasons are for the time taken to publish them.

Bridget Prentice: The fee for a personal search of a local land charges register in England is £11. It was set at this level in 2003. The Ministry of Justice is, however, considering whether the fee should be changed following the response to the joint Department for Communities and Local Government—Ministry of Justice 2008 consultation paper Local Authority Property Search Services: Charges for Property Search Services. We received a large response expressing a wide range of views. We are giving them careful consideration but have not yet reached a decision on the way forward. We aim to announce the outcome of the consultation and to publish a response document as soon as is practicable.
	Other local authority property search fees in England are set by individual local authorities. The basis on which such fees are to be calculated is set out in the Local Authorities (England) (Charges for Property Searches) Regulations SI 2008 No. 3248 which came into force on 23 December 2008.

Coroners

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) shortest,  (b) longest and  (c) average length of time in days taken by coroners in (i) Leicestershire and (ii) the rest of England to hold treasure inquests was in each of the last two years.

Bridget Prentice: Information on the time taken to conduct inquests into finds reported under the Treasure Act 1996 is not collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice, though informal figures collated by the British Museum suggest that the average time for inquests concluded in 2008, from notification of the find to a final verdict, is 173 days.
	Ministry of Justice statistics on coroner caseload show that the two coroners whose districts cover the county of Leicestershire and the city of Leicester, between them conducted three inquests into treasure in 2007, and two in 2006. Figures for 2008 are not yet available, but are due to be published on the Ministry of Justice website in May.

Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the remaining provisions of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 will be brought into effect.

Maria Eagle: With two exceptions, all provisions in the Act were commenced on 6 April 2008.
	The exceptions are:
	 Section 2(l)(d) which extends the offence to duties of care relating to those detained at a custodial institution or in a custody area at a court or police station; detained at a removal centre or short-term holding facility; being transported in a vehicle, or being held in any premises, in pursuance of prison escort arrangements or immigration escort arrangements; living in secure accommodation in which they have been placed; and detained patients. We are working to implement this aspect of the legislation within three to five years of implementation of the offence. As stated in our first report to Parliament on this in July last year, the majority of custody providers will be ready in three years. Where implementation can occur sooner with respect to certain organisations, we will put the necessary arrangements in place to achieve this.
	 Section 10 which provides for the court to require a publicity order. We will implement this section following the issue of a guideline from the Sentencing Guidelines Council since this is a new disposal where we felt it important for guidance to be in place from the outset.

Data Protection

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to give powers to the Information Commissioner to audit data controlled in the  (a) private and  (b) voluntary sectors.

Michael Wills: The Information Commissioner already has powers to check and enforce the compliance of data controllers in the private and voluntary sectors with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA).
	The Information Commissioner may issue an Information Notice under the DPA on any data controller to assess compliance with the data protection principles. If the Information Commissioner is satisfied that a data controller is contravening the data protection principles, he may issue an Enforcement Notice requiring the data controller to take action to ensure compliance. Failure to comply with either of these Notices is a criminal offence. Schedule 9 of the DPA also allows the Information Commissioner to apply for a warrant to enter and inspect the premises of any data controller he reasonably suspects to be in contravention of the data protection principles or committing an offence under the DPA.
	The Information Commissioner may also currently undertake a Good Practice Assessment under s51 (7) of the DPA to assess the data processing procedures of any data controller, providing he has obtained their consent.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Michael Wills: In the past three years the following external organisations have been engaged by the former Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and the Ministry of Justice (since its creation in May 2007) to provide training for fast stream civil service staff:
	National School for Government
	Westminster Explained
	Roffey Park
	Logica CMG UK Ltd
	GBdirect
	Institute for European Business Administration
	Industry and Parliament Trust.
	Information regarding the number of civil servants in the Ministry of Justice (and formerly the DCA) who have participated in provision of training for external organisations in the same period is not collated centrally and could be determined only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Visits

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and the former Department for Constitutional Affairs spent on visits by their staff to Brussels in 2007-08; and how many such visits were made by  (a) air and  (b) rail.

Maria Eagle: It is not possible to determine how much was spent on visits by staff to Brussels as the expenditure is not separately identifiable within the Department's financial systems. Data on how many overseas visits, to which countries and by which mode of transport are not held centrally. To obtain any such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	It is possible however to provide data for the main divisions within the Department that undertook such journeys to Brussels for the period requested. These are detailed as follows.
	Air: 3
	Rail: 45
	Total expenditure: £19,352.24
	The Department has published rules for official travel in its staff handbook, and all travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Judiciary

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) Lords of Appeal in Ordinary,  (b) the Lord Chief Justice and Heads of Division and other judges of the Court of Appeal and High Court,  (c) Crown and County Court judges,  (d) district judges sitting in crime and civil and family matters and  (e) High Court masters who are engaged in administrative and managerial work in addition to their judicial work; and what estimate he has made of the average number of days per calendar month that those in each category spend on such work.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice does not currently hold any information on the amount of time spent by judges on administrative and managerial work. All judges may be called on from time to time to assume responsibilities in relation to the courts and jurisdictions they work in. How much time these responsibilities take to discharge will depend on the level of responsibility, the circumstances and the judge.
	I am informed that the Judges' Council is undertaking work at present to provide better estimates of judges' workloads. The collection, and any release, of this information is a matter for the Lord Chief Justice.

National Offender Management Service: Apprentices

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on the participation of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in his Department's public sector apprenticeship scheme; what apprenticeship schemes are operated by NOMS; and what plans he has to increase the availability of apprenticeships at NOMS.

David Hanson: In June 2008, HM Prison Service introduced the Prison Maintenance Departments Apprenticeship scheme for people who are interested in learning a trade.
	Currently, NOMS is working in partnership with Skills for Justice to develop an apprenticeship in business administration in the justice sector, tailored to the specific needs of all administrative staff working in NOMS. In the future, there is potential to explore further apprenticeship programmes such as a custodial apprenticeship.
	NOMS has also, for some time, worked with Skills for Justice to develop appropriate qualifications for staff, aligned to national occupational standards.

Offenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent estimate of the average cost per year of keeping an offender in  (a) an adult prison,  (b) a young offender institution and  (c) a secure training centre is.

David Hanson: The overall average resource cost per offender (prisoner) in England and Wales in 2007-08 was:
	
		
			   £ 
			 (a) adult prisons 38,000 
			 (b) young offender institutions (YOI) 48,000 
			 (c) secure training centres 178,000 
			  Note: Figures to the nearest £500 
		
	
	The average costs for adult prisons and YOIs comprise (a) the public sector establishments' direct resource expenditure as published in the "Annual Report and Accounts of Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS)", increased by an apportionment of costs borne centrally by HMPS and the National Offender Management Service and (b) the resource expenditure of contracted-out prisons also increased by certain costs borne centrally. This involves some estimation. Income from the Youth Justice Board (YJB) in respect of services recharged to the YJB is excluded in order to show the overall cost to the Ministry of Justice. The figures do not include prisoners held in police and court cells under Operation Safeguard, nor expenditure met by other Government Departments (e.g. for health and education). The prisoner escort service is included.
	The YOI figure comprises male open and male closed establishments. Adult includes all other establishments except male juvenile category.
	The categorisation of costs into adult prisons and Young Offender Institutions is based on the main category of the prison establishment as at 31 March 2008, not on the mix of offenders in the establishments. So for example, where an establishment is primarily adult but has a young offender population, the young offender costs are not separately identified.
	The secure training centre cost includes education, healthcare and VAT.
	There are a number of factors which will cause differences in prison costs, such as the size, age, location and category of the prison, the mix of prisoners (including gender and age) and the internal regime and rehabilitation work followed.

Reparation by Offenders

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many reparation orders have been issued by each court in each year since 2005.

David Hanson: The repatriation of a foreign national prisoner from the UK does not require the production of a court order; under the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984 a warrant is issued on behalf of the Secretary of State which enables the transfer of a prisoner into the custody of a foreign jurisdiction.
	The following number of prisoners were repatriated by England and Wales to a foreign jurisdiction each year since 2005:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 136 
			 2006 111 
			 2007 111 
			 2008 68 
		
	
	The United Kingdom currently has prisoner transfer agreements with over 100 countries and territories.
	Repatriation requires the consent of the sentencing state, the receiving state and the prisoners themselves. A prisoner cannot be forcibly repatriated.

Repossession Orders: Uxbridge

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court orders have been issued for the repossession of homes in Uxbridge constituency in each year since 2001.

Bridget Prentice: Although figures for the Uxbridge constituency are not available, the following tables show the number of mortgage and landlord possession claims issued and orders made in Uxbridge and Staines county courts since 2001.
	The civil procedure rules state that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated. However, Uxbridge and Staines county courts cover areas other than Uxbridge and therefore not all possession actions at these courts will relate to this constituency.
	Court level statistics on mortgage and landlord repossession actions from 1987 to 2007 are available on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/mortgatelandlordpossession.htm
	These figures do not indicate how many homes have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made, while not all court orders result in repossession.
	
		
			  Table 1: Mortgage( 1)  possession claims issued and orders( 4,)( )( 5)  made in Uxbridge and Staines county courts, 2001- 08 
			   Uxbridge  Staines 
			   Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made( 6) 
			 2001 414 265 233 149 
			 2002 405 254 285, 153 
			 2003 500 265 268 150 
			 2004 601 356 365 219 
			 2005 827 521 547 301 
			 2006 881 604 501 412 
			 2007 885 555 457 — 
			 2008(7) 718 490 428 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Landlord( 2,)( )( 3)  possession claims issued and orders made4,5 in Uxbridge and Staines county courts, 2001- 08 
			   Uxbridge  Staines 
			   Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made( 6) 
			 2001 1,827 1,109 589 407 
			 2002 2,153 1,036 593 362 
			 2003 2,014 971 592 344 
			 2004 1,633 953 580 391 
			 2005 1,622 848 531 308 
			 2006 1,766 894 569 332 
			 2007 1,566 830 612 — 
			 2008(7) 1,231 722 445 — 
			 (1) Mortgage possession data include all types of lenders whether local authority or private. (2) Landlord possession data include all types of landlord whether social or private. (3) Landlord actions include those made under both standard and accelerated procedures. Landlord actions via the accelerated procedure enables the orders to be made solely on the basis of written evidence and shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. (4) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (5) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (6) The rollout of the Possession Claim On-Line (PCOL) system in late 2006 has affected the availability of court-level data Only those county courts who do not have direct on site access to PCOL were affected. Staines county court does not have direct on site access to this system and figures for 'orders made' are not available for this court from 2007 onwards. (7) January to September. Figures for the latest year are provisional.  Source. Ministry of Justice

Speed Limits: South West

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were  (a) cautioned and  (b) fined for speeding in (i) Stroud, (ii) Gloucestershire and (iii) south west England in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Speeding offences, under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and Motor Vehicles (Speed Limit on Motorways) Regulations 1973, can be dealt with by way of written warnings, court proceedings or the issuing of a fixed penalty notice.
	Available information collected centrally on the Court Proceedings Database, held by the Ministry of Justice, on the number of persons given a court fine for speed limit offences within the Gloucestershire police force area and the South West region from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is provided in table 1.
	Information collected centrally by the Home Office on the number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued for speeding offences, by area, for the period 2002 to 2006 (latest available) is given in table 2. Data for 2007 are due to be published in the spring of 2009.
	Formal cautions are not given for motoring offences.
	Data are collected centrally by police force area and therefore information for Stroud is not available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of magistrates courts imposed fines( 1)  for speed limit offences( 2)  within the Gloucestershire police force area, and the South West region( 3) , 2003-07( 4,5) 
			  Number of offences 
			   Area  Number of fines( 1) 
			 2003 Gloucestershire 800 
			  South West Region 18,000 
			
			 2004 Gloucestershire 786 
			  South West Region 18,266 
			
			 2005 Gloucestershire 750 
			  South West Region 19,448 
			
			 2006 Gloucestershire 1,398 
			  South West Region 21,976 
			
			 2007 Gloucestershire 1,111 
			  South West Region 18,157 
			 (1) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown Court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 10 each year. (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ss. 16, 81, 84, 86, 88 and 89; Motor Vehicles (Speed Limit on Motorways) Regs 1973; Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926—byelaws made thereunder. (3) Includes, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire police force areas. (4) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. (5) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis unit. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  for speed limit offences( 2)  in Gloucestershire police force area and the South West local government office region, 2002-06 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  2002( 3)  2003( 3)  2004  2005  2006 
			 Gloucestershire 3,898 3,139 4,913 10,849 13,406 
			 South West Region(4) 135,549 272,383 304,379 264,190 211,536 
			 (1) Only covers notices paid where there is no further action. (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973. (3) Revised since original publication following amendments received from forces. (4) Includes following police force areas: Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Young Offender Institutions: Mental Health Services

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young offender institutions have an in-reach mental health team providing tier 2 and 3 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in England; how many such institutions are without an in-reach CAMHS tier 2 and 3 service; and what estimate he has made of the annual cost of providing an in-reach CAMHS tier 2 and 3 service for a young offender institution.

David Hanson: All young offender institutions (YOIs) in England have access to in-reach Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). YOIs in Wales are the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government.
	Transfer of the responsibility for commissioning health services in YOIs, and adult prisons in England, began in 2003 and was fully devolved to the national health service by April 2006. Primary care trusts (PCTs) work with their partner establishments to develop a comprehensive health needs assessment of the population and commission on the basis of that need.
	Since 2006 all funding including mental health forms part of the wider health care allocation and is paid out as part of the NHS Bundle and part of PCT main allocation. The NHS bundle includes the strategic health authority. All health funding is allocated to NHS bundle and they distribute this to the PCTs.
	The Department of Health has provided £1.5 million additional funding for 2007-08, repeated in 2008-09, to extend the range of CAMHS in the secure estate for children and young people.

Young Offenders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young offenders have been intensively supervised in the community in each year since 2001; and what the average cost of such supervision per person supervised was in each of those years.

David Hanson: The following table provides details of the numbers of young offenders aged under 18 who have been placed on the intensive supervision and surveillance programme (ISSP). This programme is the most rigorous and robust community sentence for under 18s supported by an initial three month curfew which is monitored electronically. The cost of ISSP varies from region to region but the Youth Justice Board use an average cost of £6,000 per head with a further £2,250 for the electronic monitoring bringing the total to £8,250.
	
		
			  Intensive supervision and surveillance programme starts 2001 2008 
			   Number 
			 2001-02 876 
			 2002-03 3,153 
			 2003-04 4,705 
			 2004-05 4,960 
			 2005-06 5,568 
			 2006-07 5,243 
			 2007-08 5,044

Young Offenders: Custodial Treatment

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce the use of penal custody for child offenders; and how many such offenders are being supervised in the community.

David Hanson: The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 provides for a new generic community sentence for under 18s, the Youth Rehabilitation Order (YRO), which will replace nine existing community sentences. The Order provides a range of requirements providing a flexible sentence that can be tailored to meet individual offenders' needs. It includes two high intensity requirements, intensive supervision and surveillance and fostering set as direct alternatives to custody. The Act will also require a court to consider using a YRO with one of the high intensity requirements prior to custody. If custody is still given the sentencer must explain in court why the high intensity community sentence is not appropriate.
	In addition the Government have provided a range of out of court disposals designed to keep low level offences and offenders out of the criminal justice system, yet provide interventions to prevent reoffending. The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act introduces the Youth Conditional Caution which will be available to the Crown Prosecution Service as a final out of court disposal. Both these measures will be brought into effect later this year.
	This Government believe in early intervention and prevention, but recognises that where offending occurs we should have a structured, robust sentencing framework aimed at preventing reoffending. However, where the offence is serious or persistent and there is a risk of harm to the public then custody should be available. These aims are set out in the Youth Crime Action Plan published in July 2008.
	The number of 10 to 18s getting community sentences in 2007 was 66,007 out of a total of 97,387 sentenced. This counts all types of offence at magistrates' courts and the Crown court. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Young Offenders: Custodial Treatment

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce the number of child deaths in custody.

David Hanson: The death of any young person is a tragedy. The Government are committed to reducing the number of deaths in custody.
	The Youth Justice Board's Child Protection and Safeguarding Programme 2005-08 included a wide range of safeguarding initiatives including:
	the introduction of specialised safeguarding posts within Young Offender Institutions;
	the introduction of local authority social workers to meet the welfare needs of young people in custody;
	the introduction of an independent advocacy service to provide young people with assistance if they wish to make complaints or need advice;
	the development of policies and guidance that specifically address the needs of young people, such as anti-bullying and violence reduction;
	consideration of building and cell design, including increasing the presence of CCTV cameras in known bullying hotspots; and
	increased child protection and safeguarding training.
	In December 2008, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) published its "Review of Safeguarding in the Secure Estate". Safeguarding remains a priority and the YJB is working with cross-Government partners and secure estate providers to improve the safeguarding of young people in the secure estate.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcoholic Drinks: Sales

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2165W, on alcoholic drinks: misuse, when he expects the terms of reference for the work on evaluating the effects of the sale of alcohol between 3 am and 6 am will be agreed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Pursuant to my answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2165W, I can confirm that my Department is still in discussions with the Home Office about further evaluation of the impact of the sale of alcohol between 3 am and 6 am. No decisions have yet been reached on terms of reference.

Alcoholic Drinks: Sales

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department provides guidance to convenience stores with off-sales licences on the  (a) positioning of and  (b) promotion of alcohol within their shops.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS does not provide guidance to licensed premises on any matter. However, in our guidance to licensing authorities, we have provided details of the Portman Group Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks, which seeks to ensure that drinks are packaged and promoted in a socially responsible manner. In addition, if there is a risk or perceived risk to the licensing objectives (such as the protection of children from harm) as a result of the position or promotion of alcohol, following representations and a hearing, conditions can be attached to the premises licence by the licensing authority to address the concerns.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 244W, on apprentices, what progress has been made on increasing the number of apprentices in his Department; and how many apprentices his Department employs.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Royal Parks runs a three year apprenticeship scheme, which commenced in September 2007. There are currently nine first year apprentices and six second year apprentices. Recruitment for a further 10 apprentices will begin in early February 2009.
	In 2008-09 there are currently no DCMS staff undertaking apprenticeships or advance apprenticeships, but places continue to be offered and advertised on the in-house intranet for management and administration.

Arts Council England: Grants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Arts Council England spent on  (a) grants for the arts,  (b) the Cultural Leadership Programme,  (c) managed funds,  (d) the Urban Cultural Programme,  (e) Own Art and  (f) its regularly funded organisations in each of the last five years; and what percentage of expenditure came from (i) the National Lottery and (ii) Exchequer funds in each case.

Barbara Follett: Information is as follows:
	 Arts Council England expenditure
	Arts Council England advises that it has provided Exchequer and lottery funding for each of the categories requested, as set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			  How much ACE spent on:  Type  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  (a) Grant for the Arts Grant in aid (GIA) and Lottery 73,743 83,196 92,057 45,560 
			  (b) Cultural Leadership Programme Restricted funds(1) — — 4,563 5,635 
			  (c) Managed funds GIA 32,020 30,918 27,142 29,770 
			  (d) The Urban Cultural Programme Lottery 4,550 1,450 — — 
			  (e) Own Art GIA 250 250 378 366 
			  (f) Regularly funded organisations GIA 279,409 300,900 314,107 325,725 
			 (1 )Culture Leadership Funds were part of Restricted Funds until 2007-08. From 2008-09 it was brought into part of the core funding from DCMS. 
		
	
	 Percentages of Arts Council Expenditure
	Arts Council England has also advised that the above expenditure consists of National Lottery and Exchequer funding in the proportions as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of expenditure  from (i) the National Lottery and (ii) Exchequer f unds in each case 
			  Percentage 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  (a)  Grants for the Arts 
			 Lottery 89 89 90 98 
			 Grant in aid (GIA) 11 11 10 2 
			  
			  (b)  Cultural Leadership Programme 
			 Restricted funds — 100 100 100 
			  
			  (c)  Managed funds 
			 GIA 100 100 100 100 
			  
			  (d)  The Urban Cultural Programme 
			 Lottery 100 100 — — 
			  
			  (e)  Own Art 
			 GIA 100 100 100 100 
			  
			  ( f)  Regularly funded organisations 
			 GIA 100 100 100 100

Arts: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much  (a) public money and  (b) lottery money has been spent per capita on arts services in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: The information is not available in the form requested. However, public money includes lottery money and, based on information from Arts Council England and population estimates (source: Office for National Statistics, mid-year population estimates 2005, 2006 and 2007), annual per capita spend on the Arts Council's Regularly Funded Organisations and Grants for the Arts programmes in each English region is as set out in the following two tables.
	Information for years prior to 2005, and on each local authority area, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Arts Council England —  Regularly Funded Organizations: spend per capita 
			  £ 
			  Region  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 East 1.50 1.55 1.62 
			 East Midlands 2.15 2.23 2.22 
			 London 21.16 22.04 22.62 
			 North East 4.43 4.95 5.29 
			 North West 2.98 3.26 3.35 
			 South East 1.54 1.56 1.63 
			 South West 2.77 2.89 3.01 
			 West Midlands 7.68 7.97 8.30 
			 Yorkshire 4.60 4.75 4.82 
		
	
	These figures are based on the Arts Council office responsible for monitoring each organisation; in practically all cases this is the region in which the organisation is based. However, this may not reflect the region where benefit is derived because of touring or travel to funded organisations and projects in a different region.
	
		
			 Arts Council England—Grants for the Arts: spend per capita 
			  £ 
			  Region  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 East 1.11 1.34 0.74 
			 East Midlands 1.40 1.49 0.88 
			 London 3.07 2.82 1.49 
			 North East 1.98 2.14 1.34 
			 North West 1.97 2.13 0.93 
			 South East 1.02 1.39 1.02 
			 South West 1.54 1.70 1.06 
			 West Midlands 1.25 2.21 0.97 
			 Yorkshire 1.39 1.80 0.90

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	We aim to respond to all letters from members of the public within 20 working days of receipt. Statistics on the percentage responded to within this target are available in our annual report. Information on average response times to letters from the public could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the initial estimated  (a) cost and  (b) delivery date was of each ICT project initiated by his Department in each year since 1997; what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) completion date was of each such project subsequently completed; which contractors were hired for each project; and how much has been paid to each contractor in respect of each project to date.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department's IT service is outsourced to Atos Origin and all costs are paid to that company.
	My Department does not keep a formal register of IT projects. However, records show that the following projects have been undertaken in the last two years:
	
		
			  Project  Planned completion  Estimated cost (£)  Actual completion  Actual cost (£) 
			 Collaboration Space November 2008 50,000 November2008 45,000 
			 Electronic Records Management January 2009 1,500,000 October 2008  
			 Web Content Management (Red Dot) November 2008 200,000 November 2008 201,000 
			 Desk Top Portal (Frank) June 2009 100,000 — — 
			 Google Enterprise Search March 2009 200,000 — — 
			 Secure collaboration—Proof of Concept March 2009 150,000 — — 
		
	
	Information of earlier projects could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which ICT projects his Department initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was  (a) commenced and  (b) abandoned; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has not abandoned any ICT projects since 1997.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In 2008 DCMS has spent no money on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau.
	No such training sessions were held and no DCMS staff attended these training courses.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agency the Royal Parks, staff working  (a) in lunch breaks would be entitled to time off in lieu and those staff working  (b) in evenings, and  (c) at other times outside contracted hours, would either be paid overtime or receive time off in lieu.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information relating to days off in lieu granted to staff in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not answered any questions where the cost of preparing the answer would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold as Ministers did not believe it to be in the public interest to answer such questions irrespective of cost.

Legacy Trust: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Legacy Trust has raised since its establishment; and how much it has received from  (a) trusts and foundations,  (b) public funds,  (c) lottery funds and  (d) the private sector.

Andy Burnham: The Legacy Trust UK was established with a £40 million endowment from the Millennium Commission, Big Lottery Fund, the Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to support a wide range of innovative cultural and sporting activities for all, which celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and leave a lasting legacy in communities throughout the United Kingdom. Of this endowment, £29 million came from the Millennium Commission and Big Lottery Fund with the remaining £11 million from Arts Council England and DCMS.
	Since its establishment at the end of 2007 it has identified matched funding of £21,777,250 of which £5,769,411 has been secured.
	The breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Total identified from Trusts/Foundations 200,000 
			 Total identified from public funds 19,050,250 
			 Total secured to date 5,769,411 
		
	
	The identified public funds, includes the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), universities in the south-west of England and regional development agencies.
	Total identified from private sector: £2,527,000

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many representations his Department has received on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in each of the last three years.

Barbara Follett: As stated in my response to the hon. Member for Bournemouth East on 19 November 2008,  Official Report, column 604W, we have received representations from VisitBritain on behalf of small accommodation providers about the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and its impact on their establishments. We have also received a small amount of other correspondence from tourism establishments.
	Figures on representations from organisations in our sectors could be provided only at disproportionate cost, as we have not maintained a log of specific contact on this issue.

Sport England: Property

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) buildings and  (b) land are leased by Sport England; and what estimate has been made of the value of these assets.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England have advised that they do not own any buildings or land. The Sports Council Trust Company (SCTC), of which Sport England is a member and controlling shareholder, underlease the following properties:
	 1.  114 Cardigan r oad, Headingley, Leeds
	The SCTC is the Superior Landlord on the above premises which is underlet to The National Coaching Foundation (NCF) with an annual rent of £51,000. This current underlease is due to expire in April 2009 and SCTC are in negotiations to renew this lease for a further four years. The superior lease expires in 2018. Sport England does not receive any of the rental income derived from that premises and are not party to the lease agreement.
	 2. Bisham Abbey
	The SCTC rents out parts of Bisham Abbey including the Abbey, Sports Centre and external areas on the property to a total of 26 tenants which comprise of both sports club, associations and individuals. The total annual rent derived from these leases is £272,586. Sport England does not receive any of the rental income derived from that premises and are not party to the lease agreements.
	 3. Lilleshall
	The Sports Council Trust Company (SCTC) rents out parts of Lilleshall to a total of four tenants which comprise of both sports clubs, associations and individuals. The total annual rent derived from these leases is £16,502. Sport England does not receive any of the rental income derived from that premises and are not party to the lease agreements.

Sports: Facilities

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will monitor the trends in the number of pay-and-play customers at sporting facilities during the economic downturn.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has no plans to directly monitor the number of pay and play customers at sporting facilities. However, from October 2008 Sport England's Active People survey has begun to monitor the impact of the economic downturn on sports participation more widely.

Sports: Sponsorship

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what dates  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers and  (c) officials from his Department have met representatives from (i) HM Treasury and (ii) UK Sport to discuss the £100 million of private sponsorship for elite athletes announced in the 2006 Budget; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following dates have been identified where the Secretary of State met with UK Sport and the £100 million of private sponsorship for elite athletes was likely to have been discussed: 31 October 2006, 8 November 2006, 11 June 2007, 24 July 2007, 22 October 2007, 23 January 2008, 7 February 2008, 7 May 2008, 9 July 2008, 15 July 2008, 16 September 2008, 30 September 2008, 24 and 25 November 2008, 18 December 2008. I was also present at the meetings on 7 February 2008, 7 May 2008, 24 and 25 November 2008 and 18 December 2008.
	DCMS officials have held discussions with UK Sport on the issue of the £100 million sponsorship on a regular basis. In addition, Ministers and officials have had a number of meetings on this issue at which HM Treasury has been represented.

Swimming: Low Incomes

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds  (a) the Amateur Swimming Association and  (b) Sport England provide for (i) the teaching of basic swimming and (ii) increasing swimming participation among people on low incomes.

Andy Burnham: The Government are committed to increasing participation in swimming, as demonstrated by their £140 million investment in the Free Swimming Programme, an element of which will be to provide free swimming lessons.
	Increasing overall participation in swimming is also one of the key aims of the Amateur Swimming Association's (ASA) Strategic Plan 2005-09, to which Sport England has contributed in excess of £9 million of whole sport plan funding.
	Sport England awarded £3 million to the ASA to support its 'Everyday Swim' project during 2006-08. 'Everyday Swim' is a national project, operating at a number of sites across England, which has the aim of improving people's experience of using public pools and so delivering a sustained increase in participation, including people on low incomes.

UK Sport: Property

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what non-heritage  (a) buildings and  (b) land are leased by UK Sport; and what estimate has been made of the value of these assets.

Gerry Sutcliffe: UK Sport have advised that they do not own any buildings or land.
	UK Sport operate from offices at 40 Bernard Street, London WC1N 1ST, and lease of this property, which is not listed or scheduled, is treated as an operating lease and UK Sport does not capitalise, in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. At 31 March 2008 UK Sport had £0.55 million leasehold improvements in the balance sheet at cost. The depreciated value was £0.1 million.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carers' Benefits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the change in expenditure on  (a) disability living allowance (care component),  (b) attendance allowance and  (c) carer's allowance payments after they became exportable within the European economic area;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the change in the number of claimants of  (a) disability living allowance (care component),  (b) attendance allowance and  (c) carer's allowance payments after they became exportable within the European economic area;
	(3)  with reference to the written ministerial statement of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 68WS, on disability benefits (European Court of Justice), what progress has been made in discussions with the European Commission to clarify the extent of the Government's responsibilities following the judgment in the European Court of Justice of 18 October 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: We set out the entitlement conditions for those customers who are eligible to export an existing award of disability living allowance care component, attendance allowance or carer's allowance on the Directgov website in April 2008. This can be found at:
	http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/Introductiontofinancialsupport/DG_073387.
	The increase in expenditure is very difficult to predict. Our estimates indicate that, at most, this will result in an increase in the number of customers and benefit expenditure as set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Estimated maximum expenditure  ( £ million )  Estimated maximum caseload 
			 Disability living allowance 30 20,000 
			 Attendance allowance 10 (1)— 
			 Carers allowance 10 (1)— 
			 Total 50 20,000 
			 ( 1) Equals less than 5,000 and therefore equals zero when rounded to the nearest 10,000  Note: These estimates relate to 2010-11 because this is assumed to be the first full year following full implementation of the judgement. 
		
	
	We expect to set out entitlement conditions for those wishing to claim from abroad shortly. The directgov website will be updated at that time.

Child Support Agency: Cost-effectiveness

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of the operational improvement plan in place at the Child Support Agency.

Kitty Ussher: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of the operational improvement plan in place at the Child Support Agency. (242214)
	The Operational Improvement Plan was launched in April 2006 and supported by £120 million of additional funding. The three-year plan aimed to improve the service the Child Support Agency was delivering to its clients and to deliver more money to more children, while the entire system of child maintenance was redesigned. The Agency is currently in the third and final year of the plan and while some challenges remain it is on course to meet all of the commitments that were made when the plan was launched.
	As a result of the investment in the Operational Improvement Plan the Agency is now delivering its services far more efficiently and effectively. Indeed, after two-and-a-half years of the plan the number of uncleared cases has fallen significantly, from 284,400 cases that were outstanding in March 2006, to just 95,900 cases outstanding at the end of September 2008. The number of children who receive maintenance has also increased under the plan to a total of 778,200 children in the three months to the end of September, 155,200 more children than received maintenance in the three months to March 2006. In addition, the Agency collected and arranged £1.08 billion in child maintenance in the year to September 2008, which is a considerable increase from the £836 million that was collected in the year to March 2006.
	The investment in the Operational Improvement Plan has resulted in more money for more children, and will provide a stable foundation on which the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission can build for the future.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Cold Weather Payments

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will include RAF Benson as one of the meteorological stations used to determine cold weather payments in Oxfordshire;
	(2)  if he will estimate the number of people in Henley constituency who would have qualified for cold weather payments in the period from 1 November 2008 to 11 January 2009 had the determining temperature for the payment been taken solely at RAF Benson;
	(3)  how many people in Henley constituency qualified for cold weather payments between 1 November 2008 and 11 January 2009.

Kitty Ussher: Estimates of the number of benefit units who qualified for cold weather payments between 1 November 2008 and 11 January 2009 are not available by parliamentary constituency or local authority, but only by weather station.
	A cold weather payment is triggered for an eligible customer if the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode.
	Postcodes in Henley parliamentary constituency are linked to either Brize Norton, High Wycombe or South Farnborough weather stations. Each of these weather stations triggered twice between 1 November 2008 and 11 January 2009. Therefore eligible benefit units in Henley parliamentary constituency each qualified for two cold weather payments between 1 November 2008 and 11 January 2009. If Henley parliamentary constituency had been linked to RAF Benson, eligible benefit units would still have qualified for two cold weather payments between 1 November 2008 and 11 January 2009.
	The inclusion of RAF Benson as one of the meteorological stations used to determine cold weather payments in Oxfordshire will be considered as part of the annual cold weather payment review in summer 2009.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 571W, in response to his previous question 244721.

Disability Living Allowance: Chronically Sick

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed the higher rate care component of disability living allowance on the ground of terminal illness in 2007-08, broken down by the smallest geographical area for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: We do not collect statistics on the number of disability living allowance claimants who are terminally ill. The available information about the number of disability living allowance claimants with the highest rate care component who have claimed under the special rules applicable to people who are terminally ill and not expected to live for more than six months is in the table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance claimants with the highest rate care component on the grounds of terminal illness in 2007-08 
			   May 2007  August 2007  November 2007( 1)  February 2008  May 2008 
			 North East 2,400 2,600 — 2,600 2,700 
			 North West 7,800 7,800 — 7,900 7,500 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,700 4,700 — 4,500 3,900 
			 East Midlands 3,300 3,300 — 3,200 3,100 
			 West Midlands 4,300 4,400 — 4,000 3,800 
			 East of England 3,700 3,600 — 3,800 3,400 
			 London 6,200 6,500 — 6,100 5,200 
			 South East 4,900 5,100 — 5,100 4,600 
			 South West 3,600 3,500 — 3,500 3,400 
			 Wales 3,100 3,300 — 2,900 2,900 
			 Scotland 4,400 4,300 — 4,200 4,000 
			 (1) Data for November 2007 is not available.  Notes: 1. Although the preferred data source for benefit statistics is 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, the 5 per cent. sample data has been used in this case because it provides some detail not yet available from the 100 per cent. data sources, in particular, it identifies those claiming under the Special Rules. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 3. Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample.

Disability Living Allowance: Sight Impaired

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 17 September 2008,  Official Report, column 2226W, on sight impaired: disability living allowance, for what reasons 2010-11 is the earliest date at which the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance could be extended to people registered blind.

Jonathan R Shaw: Any change to extend entitlement of the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance to people with severe sight impairments or who are registered blind would necessitate a change to the primary and secondary legislation. Further time will be needed to design, test and implement the administrative processes, which will require changes such as new guidance and training for staff. As a result, the earliest implementation timescale would be 2010-11.

Disabled: Social Security Benefits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the written ministerial statement of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 68WS, on disability benefits (European Court of Justice), what legal advice his Department sought ahead of the European Court of Justice's judgment; and at what cost.

Jonathan R Shaw: In addition to legal consideration by internal legal advisers, Her Majesty's Government instructed external counsel to represent the United Kingdom in the proceedings before the European Court of Justice at a cost of approximately £19,000.

Employment Schemes: Contracts

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which employment service contractors in each region did not have their contract for employment services renewed under each  (a) New Deal,  (b) Employment Zone and  (c) Pathways to Work programme in each of the last eight years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information requested in relation to  (a) New Deal contracts is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The information requested in relation to  (b) Employment Zone contracts is provided in the following table. Provider-led Pathways to Work contracts  (c) were let in two phases in December 2007 and April 2008 and the earliest date for renewal of any of these contracts will be 2010.
	A large number of bids for DWP contracts are received each year from a diverse range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations. All contracts are procured through open and fair competition in accordance with public procurement policy and EU regulations. Contracts are awarded to the bidder who offers the best quality and value for money against objective and published criteria, using fair and open competitions.
	Delivery of welfare to work services by the private and voluntary sectors is an important feature of our welfare reform strategy. We set out last February our future approach to commissioning welfare to work (Cmnd 7363) and last month's White Paper (Cmnd 7506) described how we intended to devolve more powers to private, public and voluntary providers.
	
		
			  Employment Zone  Former contractor  Contract end date 
			 North West Wales Work Connections May 2002 
			 Middlesbrough Working Links October 2003 
			 Nottingham Nottingham City Partnership October 2003 
			 Southwark Working Links April 2004

Employment Schemes: Contracts

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid to  (a) private and  (b) voluntary sector employment service contractors in each region under each (i) New Deal, (ii) Employment Zone and (iii) Pathways to Work programme in each of the last eight years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.

Employment Schemes: Contracts

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) agreed contract employment target,  (b) award payment structure per client and  (c) names were of each (i) private and (ii) voluntary contractor for each (A) New Deal, (B) Employment Zone and (C) Pathways to Work programme in each region that involved contracting out employment services in each of the last eight years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information requested in relation to contract employment targets and the award payment structure for clients is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the names of each (i) private and (ii) voluntary contractor for each of the current (A) new deal (B) employment zone and (C) pathways to work programme (phases 1 and 2) in each region are shown in the following tables. For completeness, the names of the public sector organisation delivering these programmes is also included.
	Delivery of welfare to work services by the private, voluntary and public sectors is an important feature of our welfare reform strategy. We set out last February our future approach to commissioning welfare to work (Cmnd 7363) and last month's White Paper (Cmnd 7506) described how we intended to devolve more powers to private, public and voluntary providers.
	
		
			  New deal prime contractors 
			  Region  Private sector providers 
			 East Midlands A4e, Instant Muscle, TBG Learning 
			 East of England A4e Anglia Training Services, Kennedy Scott, TNG 
			 London A4e, Skills Training 
			 North East A4e, Crosby Training, Inspire to Independence, MBW Training Services, Sencia Ltd., Standguide, TNG, Training West Lancashire Ltd., Working Links 
			 North West A4e, TNG 
			 Scotland A4e, Glasgow Mentoring Network, Management Introductions, Reed in Partnership plc, Support Training Ltd., Triage Central Ltd. 
			 South East A4e, TBG Learning 
			 South West A4e, Prospects Services Ltd., Seetec 
			 Wales A4e Wales Ltd., DASH Training South Wales LLP, TD Training Ltd. 
			 West Midlands Biscom Resource Management Ltd., Juniper Training, Pertemps People Development Group Ltd., Workfirst, 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside A4e, BEST (Business Employment Services Training) 
		
	
	
		
			  Region  Voluntary sector providers 
			 East of England YMCA Training 
			 London CDG, Community Links 
			 North East BTCV Enterprises 
			 Scotland Claverhouse Training, SCVO, The Wise Group 
			 South East CDG 
			 South West BTCV Enterprises 
			 Wales SOVA, Tydfil Training Consortium Ltd. 
			 West Midlands Steps to Work Walsall 
		
	
	
		
			  Region  Public sector providers 
			 East of England North Hertfordshire College 
			 Scotland Argyll and Bute Council, East Dunbartonshire Council, Lauder College, Moray College, West Lothian Council 
			 South West Bournemouth and Poole College 
			 Wales Carmarthenshire Training and Technology Centre, Hyfforddiant Ceredigion Training, Pembrokeshire County Council, Scout Enterprises (Western) Ltd., Swansea College 
			 West Midlands Dudley MBC Future Skills, ETW, Shropshire County Training 
		
	
	
		
			  Employment zone contracts 
			  Region  Private sector providers 
			 East Midlands Work Directions 
			 London Reed in Partnership, TNG, Work Directions, Working Links 
			 North East Pertemps 
			 North West Pertemps, Reed in Partnership, Sencia 
			 Scotland Reed in Partnership, Working Links 
			 South East Working Links 
			 South West Working Links 
			 Wales Working Links 
			 West Midlands Pertemps, Work Directions, Working Links 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside Reed in Partnership 
		
	
	
		
			  Region  Voluntary Sector providers 
			 Scotland Wise Group 
		
	
	
		
			  Provider led pathways to work phase 1 
			  Region  Private sector providers 
			 East Midlands TNG Ltd., Work Directions UK Ltd. 
			 London Work Directions UK Ltd. 
			 Scotland Triage Central Ltd., Work Directions UK Ltd. 
			 South West A4e 
			 Wales A4e 
			 West Midlands Seetec Business Technology Centre Ltd., Work Directions UK Ltd. 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside A4e 
		
	
	
		
			  Region  Voluntary sector providers 
			 North West The Shaw Trust 
			 East of England The Shaw Trust 
		
	
	
		
			  Provider led pathways to work phase 2 
			  Region  Private sector providers 
			 East Midlands Working Links 
			 East of England Reed in Partnership 
			 London Reed in Partnership 
			 North West Carter and Carter, TNG 
			 South West Working Links 
			 West Midlands Working Links 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside Carter and Carter, Working Links 
		
	
	
		
			  Region  Voluntary sector providers 
			 East of England Shaw Trust 
			 South East Instant Muscle, Royal British Legion Industries, Shaw Trust 
		
	
	
		
			  Region  Public sector providers 
			 West Midlands Remploy

Employment Schemes: English Language

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to how many  (a) UK citizens,  (b) non-UK EU citizens and  (c) others his Department and Jobcentre Plus offered an English for Speakers of Other Languages course in order to help them secure employment in the last 12 months; and at what cost to the public purse such offers were taken up.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not routinely collected and could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
	WP and Jobcentre Plus do not collect data on national origin as part of the skills referral system. Jobcentre Plus signposts customers to provision made available through Jobcentre Plus New Deal, the Learning and Skills Council, local authorities and other organisations from the public and voluntary sector. Language support is not delivered in isolation but as an integral component within a suite of basic skills provision delivered through programmes such as New Deal and the Learning and Skills Council's Employability Skills Programme.
	Jobcentre Plus funded provision is only available to customers who have the legal right to work in the UK and, furthermore, have qualified to receive benefits. It is therefore right and proper that those who are expected to contribute to the UK economy should be supported in their efforts to do so.

Housing Benefit: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of housing benefit in each London borough in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of housing benefit recipients in each London borough at August each year 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Barking 15,820 16,880 17,550 18,040 18,410 
			 Barnet 18,180 19,950 20,710 20,810 21,780 
			 Bexley 9,900 10,750 11,160 11,420 11,620 
			 Brent 23,810 26,380 27,730 27,860 28,230 
			 Bromley 13,920 14,500 15,310 15,650 15,860 
			 Camden 27,400 27,810 28,280 28,210 27,990 
			 City of London 1,100 1,140 1,170 1,150 1,170 
			 Croydon 21,700 23,640 25,260 26,180 26,690 
			 Ealing 20,440 22,320 23,450 24,080 24,610 
			 Enfield 17,470 20,610 22,510 23,910 25,090 
			 Greenwich 23,410 24,300 25,200 25,450 25,310 
			 Hackney 30,550 34,180 35,030 34,960 35,010 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 18,430 19,430 20,090 20,060 20,380 
			 Haringey 26,520 28,940 30,650 31,230 30,980 
			 Harrow 9,040 11,450 11,610 13,180 12,490 
			 Havering 9,770 10,490 10,660 10,910 11,160 
			 Hillingdon 14,080 14,920 15,170 15,890 15,970 
			 Hounslow 14,910 15,930 16,800 16,990 17,070 
			 Islington 26,860 29,240 29,570 29,470 28,840 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 14,590 15,630 15,640 8,540 16,060 
			 Kingston upon Thames 6,290 6,790 7,130 7,180 7,250 
			 Lambeth 32,880 34,820 36,390 36,000 35,070 
			 Lewisham 27,390 28,530 29,100 29,380 29,100 
			 Merton 8,680 9,830 10,150 10,370 10,570 
			 Newham 31,750 32,380 33,770 34,090 33,520 
			 Redbridge 11,820 12,760 13,520 14,460 14,630 
			 Richmond upon Thames 7,680 8,000 8,090 8,550 8,080 
			 Southwark 34,530 35,490 35,890 35,280 34,560 
			 Sutton 8,650 9,010 9,200 9,550 9,740 
			 Tower Hamlets 30,060 31,180 32,300 32,160 32,040 
			 Waltham Forest 17,780 20,340 20,660 21,700 22,140 
			 Wandsworth 20,040 22,390 22,960 23,280 23,200 
			 Westminster 19,630 21,020 23,480 23,710 23,730 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest ten. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated.  Source:  Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system.

Incapacity Benefit: Overpayments

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much incapacity benefit was overpaid due to  (a) fraud,  (b) official error and  (c) customer error in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of the total expenditure on incapacity benefit this represented in each of these years.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP estimates of fraud and error in incapacity benefit up to and including 2005-06 were provided in the answer to PQ/07/117960 (Mr. Laws). DWP estimates for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are contained in the DWP publications "Fraud and Error in the Benefit System: April 2006 to March 2007" and "Fraud and Error in the Benefit System: April 2007 to March 2008", copies of which are available in the Library.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what employment support through Jobcentre Plus has been available to lone parents with children under the age of 12 since the changes to the eligibility rules for income support came into effect in November 2008; what such support will be available to lone parents with  (a) children under the age of 10 when the changes to the eligibility rules for income support come into effect in October 2009 and  (b) children under the age of seven when the changes to the eligibility rules for income support come into effect in November 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: In addition to the support that every jobseeker on JSA gets from 24 November 2008 when these changes started, lone parents also continue to have voluntary access to additional comprehensive support and advice under the new deal for lone parents from the start of their jobseeker's allowance claim, as well as other support from Jobcentre Plus to help them prepare for, enter and remain in work. This includes pre-employment support via training opportunities and in-work support via in-work credit, Jobcentre Plus personal adviser support and the in-work emergency discretion fund.
	If a lone parent is still claiming jobseeker's allowance after six months, they will enter supported job-search, where the full range of new deal for lone parents help will still be available. However, if a lone parent reaches 12 months on jobseeker's allowance they will switch to flexible new deal provision which will provide job-search support tailored to the specific needs of lone parents and address-related barriers to employment. At this point, voluntary access to new deal for lone parents will not be necessary.
	The aforementioned support will also become available to lone parents as the eligibility rule changes in October 2009 and November 2010 affect them.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: Osteoarthritis

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has plans to accept osteoarthritis of the knee as a qualifying condition for industrial injuries disablement benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is considering the recommendations contained in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report Osteoarthritis of the Knee in Coal Miners, CM7440, published on 21 August 2008.

Jobcentre Plus: Advertising

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many vacancies for positions within the Jobcentre Plus network have been advertised in each of the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to the question you asked regarding how many external vacancies for positions within the Jobcentre Plus network have been advertised in each of the last 12 months. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  External vacancies advertised by Jobcentre Plus in 2008 
			   Vacancies 
			 January 464 
			 February 1,067 
			 March 1,291 
			 April 556 
			 May 506 
			 June 346 
			 July 506 
			 August 701 
			 September 461 
			 October 508 
			 November 860 
			 December 701 
			  Note: The information provided does not include temporary vacancies. Responsibility for temporary recruitment lies with individual vacancy holders within Jobcentre Plus and this is not collated centrally.  Source: Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus: Recruitment

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether the recent announcement to recruit 6,000 new Jobcentre Plus frontline staff positions includes the retention of those employed to support the introduction of the employment support allowance; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 263-64W, on Jobcentre Plus: manpower, what Jobcentre Plus's latest estimate is of the number of  (a) staff and  (b) personal advisers there will be in each of the next 12 quarters, broken down into the smallest geographical area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply your questions asking whether the recent announcement to recruit 6,000 new Jobcentre Plus frontline staff positions includes the retention of those employed to support the introduction of the employment support allowance; and with reference to the Answer of 4 November 2008, Official Report, columns 263-4W, on Jobcentre Plus manpower—what is Jobcentre Plus' latest estimate of the number of (a) staff and (b) personal advisers will be in each of the next 12 quarters, broken down into the smallest geographical unit for which figures are available. These are issues which fall within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The table below shows the original numbers of full time equivalent posts in Jobcentre Plus projected in each of the years covered by the Department's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) 2007, together with the revised figures reflecting the pre-budget Report settlement. Plans for 2010/11 are under review and a firm figure is not yet available.
	
		
			  March each year  Original projected number  Revised estimated number (December 2008) 
			 2009 65,453 69,000 
			 2010 61,985 72,700 
			 2011 58,529 — 
		
	
	While Jobcentre Plus will have an additional 6,000 staff in the next operational year we do not yet have the detailed plans on their deployment as these are still being worked on. We are therefore unable to say at this point which of these staff will be Personal Advisers. I am also unable at this stage to provide details for the next 12 quarters as this goes beyond the end of the department's CSR 2007 and information about the next CSR settlement.
	It is not possible to say how many of the extra 6,000 staff will come from those employed to support the introduction of the Employment Support Allowance. Significant recruitment is underway to achieve these revised numbers, and we hope that those employed to support the introduction of the Employment and Support Allowance will apply successfully for those recruitment exercises. Civil Service recruitment rules constrain our ability simply to extend the contracts of all these people for the whole period of the Spending Review.

Pension Credit

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of 
	(1)  the value of unclaimed pension credit to which pensioners in  (a) Castle Point and  (b) Essex are entitled at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  the number of pensioners in  (a) Castle Point and  (b) Essex who were entitled to pension credit but had not claimed it at the latest date for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The latest estimates of the take-up rates, value of unclaimed benefit and the number of those entitled to but not receiving means-tested benefits in Great Britain, covering income support, pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income based) are published in the report "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07".
	Estimates of eligibility and therefore the value of unclaimed pension credit and those entitled to pension credit but not claiming are not available below the level of Great Britain.

Pension Credit: Ashford Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Ashford constituency  (a) were entitled to and  (b) claimed pension credit in each year since 2005.

Rosie Winterton: Estimates of eligibility to pension credit are not available below the level of Great Britain.
	The latest estimates of the take-up rates and the number of those entitled to but not receiving Pension Credit are published in the report "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07".
	The number of household recipients and individual beneficiaries of pension credit in Ashford constituency 2005-08 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  As at May each year  Household Recipients  Individual Beneficiaries 
			 2005 3,950 4,920 
			 2006 4,040 5,040 
			 2007 4,090 5,110 
			 2008 4,120 5,150 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. 3. Individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Pension Protection Fund

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension schemes have applied for protection under the Pension Protection Fund in the last two years.

Rosie Winterton: The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) pays compensation to members of defined benefit and hybrid pension schemes which are underfunded at the point their sponsoring employer experiences an insolvency event. Pension schemes do not specifically apply for protection under the PPF but they are required to notify the PPF in the case of an insolvency event. Notifications are required for all occupational pension schemes although only defined benefit and hybrid schemes are eligible for PPF compensation.
	Following notification, eligible schemes enter an assessment period, after which they may enter the PPF.
	The relevant figures are in the following table:
	
		
			   Notifications received from all schemes  Schemes entering the PPF assessment period 
			 2007 1,646 115 
			 2008 2,725 112 
		
	
	As at 31 Dec 2008, 289 schemes were in the assessment period.
	Since the PPF opened in April 2005,106 schemes have completed assessment, of which 68 have entered the PPF.

Pension Protection Fund

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the increase in the size of the Pension Protection Fund's deficit was in  (a) each year since 2004 and  (b) 2009 to date.

Rosie Winterton: The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) was established by the Pensions Act 2004 and opened its doors for business on 6 April 2005. The deficits recorded in the annual accounts have been as follows:
	
		
			   Deficit (£ million) 
			 2005-06 343 
			 2006-07 609 
			 2007-08 517 
		
	
	Audited figures for 2008-09 are not yet available.

Pension Protection Fund

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provisions he has made in respect of the future of the Pension Protection Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This Government made robust provisions for the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) through the Pensions Act 2004. The PPF is managed by an independent Board and is designed to work in a benign environment and in a downturn.
	The PPF provides security and reassurance to around 12 million members of the defined-benefit pension schemes that it protects.
	The PPF paid out compensation of around £3.7 million between 2 December 2008 and 1 January 2009 and has around £3 billion in assets. There are no liquidity problems for the PPF, and compensation continues to be paid. The PPF is like a pension scheme and that it only pays out compensation when it falls due.
	The Government, the PPF, the Pensions Regulator are monitoring the economic and financial situation carefully to asses how to respond to different scenarios. We continue to keep all these issues under review, to ensure that we have a flexible, proportionate and effective pension protection regime.

Pensioners: Payments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to ensure that pensions are not withheld from pensioners whose mail has been returned by the Post Office for any time after an investigation into the reason for the mail being returned has been concluded; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member for Castle Point to the written answer I gave on 22 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1684W.

Post Office Card Account

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 42W, on the Post Office Card Account, if he will place in the Library a copy of the script of the message that staff use when speaking to customers.

Rosie Winterton: When discussing account options with customers staff use the messages contained in the document 'Collecting Account Details'. This is guidance rather than a script. A copy of this document will be placed in the Library.

Poverty: Children

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of children in  (a) Vale of York constituency and  (b) England were born into families in relative poverty in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Kitty Ussher: The information requested is not available.

Poverty: Children

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire were considered to be in severe poverty in (i) 1999 and (ii) 2007.

Kitty Ussher: The information requested is not available.
	Our child poverty statistics, published in the households below average income series, only allow a breakdown of the number of children in low income at Government office region level.

Redundancy: Dartford

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what practical support and advice is provided by his Department and its executive agencies to workers in Dartford who are facing redundancy.

Jonathan R Shaw: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what practical support and advice is provided by his Department and its executive agencies to workers in Dartford who are facing redundancy. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus has a number of measures to support companies and their employees who are facing redundancy.
	A strengthened Rapid Response Service was launched on 12 November, doubling funding from £3 million to £6 million. It is being promoted through relevant press and on-line. The Pre Budget Report announced a further doubling of Rapid Response Service funding—£12m will be available in 2009/10.
	Through the Rapid Response Service, Jobcentre Plus has access to funds to enable those individuals made redundant to receive the necessary help to get them back into work. Such measures could include:
	Skills Transfer Analysis (to help identify an individuals transferable skills and training needs relevant to the local labour market);
	Job-Focussed Training (to assist individuals with appropriate training and certification linked to employment or self-employment linked to the needs of the local labour market).
	In conjunction with the South East Regional Development Agency, our staff will provide pre-redundancy advice about benefit entitlement and claim making arrangements, as well as advice about job hunting and job vacancies. We will also work closely with any job placement provider that may be engaged by the company facing the prospect of redundancy.
	Jobcentre Plus Kent District has appointed a Rapid Response Manager and we have a pool of Rapid Response volunteer staff from Kent District who can be deployed where additional help is required.
	In addition, Jobcentre Plus across the South East has a joint initiative with South East England Development Agency, known as the Continuing Employment Support Service, which tailors support for companies and their affected workforce and has helped place many people in new careers, by giving them the tools to find alternative employment as quickly as possible, either directly or via local partners.

Social Fund: Manpower

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  at which locations Social Fund staff work; and how many such staff work at each location;
	(2)  how many staff have worked on the Social Fund in each month in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your questions asking at which locations Social Fund staff work and how many such staff work at each location and how many staff have worked on the Social Fund in each month in each of the last five years. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The following tables attached at Annex 1 provide the average number of staff working on Social Fund from April 2008 to September 2008, the mid point of the 2008/09 operational year for each Benefit Delivery Centre and Contact Centre.
	Historically it is difficult to make a robust estimate of the number of staff working on Social Fund alone. Although Social Fund activity was recorded on our Activity Based Modelling System, we know that for many of these staff Social Fund was only part of their work. Following centralisation of benefit processing, which began in April 2006 and was completed in March 2008, we can be more confident that our data represents people working full time on Social Fund.
	Overall our data shows staff working on Social Fund for 2003/04 around 3,400; 2004/05 around 3,200; 2005/06 around 3,200; 2006/07 around 3,300 and 2007/08 around 3,600.
	
		
			  Annex 1: Social fund processing locations and average staff numbers between April 2008 and September 2008 
			  Benefit Delivery Centre( 1) 
			   Average staff number (FTE) 
			 Balham and Ilford 382 
			 Basildon 66 
			 Belle Vale 227 
			 Bradford 62 
			 Bristol 153 
			 Chesterfield 73 
			 Chorlton 221 
			 Inverness 121 
			 Llanelli 59 
			 Milton Keynes 178 
			 Newcastle 67 
			 Newport 123 
			 Norwich 99 
			 Nottingham 78 
			 Perry Barr 252 
			 Sheffield 174 
			 Springburn 276 
			 Stockton 73 
			 Sunderland 89 
			 Total 2,773 
		
	
	
		
			  Contact Centre location( 2) 
			   Average staff number (FTE) 
			 Annesley 85 
			 Middlesbrough 165 
			 Lowestoft 95 
			 Caerphilly 73 
			 Dundee 117 
			 Taunton 90 
			 Halifax 115 
			 Marton Mere 40 
			 Lincoln 25 
			 Pembroke Dock 40 
			 Total 845 
			  Sources: (1) Jobcentre Plus ABM systems. (2) Contact Centre Directorate.

State Retirement Pensions: Overpayments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received pension overpayments in  (a) the UK,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in the last 12 months.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available by region, district or constituency. The national figure for pension related overpayments is in the following table. This is split between state pension and pension credit overpayment.
	
		
			  Volume of pension related overpayments 
			   April 2007 to March 2008  April 2008 to December 2008 
			 Pension credit 136,031 112,466 
			 State pension 229,626 168,600

Support: Mortgages

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 
	(1)  how many people claiming jobseeker's allowance have been claiming support for mortgage interest payments for two years or more;
	(2)  how many people have been claiming support for mortgage interest payments for  (a) less than six months,  (b) between six months and one year,  (c) between one and two years and  (d) two or more years.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available.

Territorial Army: Jobseeker's Allowance

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming jobseeker's allowance are members of the Territorial Army.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available.

Train to Gain Programme

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what demand there has been from employers for Train to Gain in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 14 January 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	Train to Gain builds on the Employer Training Pilots which were very successful in engaging employers and employees in training up to a first full level 2. Train to Gain started to roll out regionally in April 2006 achieving full national coverage in August 2006. Data on Train to Gain is not available prior to this date.
	Train to Gain is a growing programme and employer demand is increasing. In 2005-06 (April 2006 to July 2006) there were 4330 employer engagements and 32,400 learner starts. In 2006-07 (August 2006 to July 2007) there were 47,490 employer engagements and 206,300 learner starts. In 2007-08 (August 2007 to July 2008) there were 52,080 employer engagements and 331,800 learner starts.

Winter Fuel Payments

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people over the age of  (a) 60 and  (b) 80 years have claimed the winter fuel allowance in (i) the UK, (ii) the North East, (iii) Tees Valley district and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency since its introduction.

Rosie Winterton: Information about the number of payments made to households in those areas is in the following table. 2006-07 is the latest year for which information is available.
	Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997-98 and 1998-99 is not available. Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
	Data for Tees Valley District are not available.
	
		
			   Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency  North East  Great Britain 
			  Winter fuel payments made to people aged 60 or over
			 1999-2000 16,030 461,690 10,084,130 
			 2000-01 18,070 511,880 11,105,750 
			 2001-02 18,320 513,460 11,201,900 
			 2002-03 18,750 516,760 11,348,040 
			 2003-04 18,990 519,060 11,468,240 
			 2004-05 18,920 509,230 11,401,170 
			 2005-06 19,260 511,630 11,514,760 
			 2006-07 19,700 518,560 11,702,900 
			 
			  Winter fuel payments made to people aged 80 or over
			 2003-04 3,400 95,150 2,334,400 
			 2004-05 3,380 94,790 2,313,230 
			 2005-06 3,520 96,000 2,342,010 
			 2006-07 3,570 97,800 2,376,870 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded up to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies, local authorities and Government office regions are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 3. The increased winter fuel payment for people aged 80 or over was introduced in winter 2003-04.  Source: Information directorate 100 per cent. data.

Winter Fuel Payments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cold weather payments were made 
	(1)  to people living in Glasgow North West constituency in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008;
	(2)  in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Kitty Ussher: Estimates of the number of cold weather payments made are not available by parliamentary constituency or local authority, but only by weather station.
	The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Cold weather payments made in Great Britain 
			   Number 
			 2005-06 988,000 
			 2006-07 402,000 
			 2007-08 472,000 
			  Notes:  1. Figures for 2005-06 and 2007-08 include payments triggered in March but not actually made until April of the following year.  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.  Source:  Annual reports by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Social Fund.

Winter Fuel Payments

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of winter fuel payment applications which have been delayed owing to incomplete application forms in the latest period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 19 January 2009
	Over 95 per cent. of winter fuel payments are made automatically before Christmas. This is to reassure pensioners that they will have extra money available to pay for heating their homes during the coldest part of the year before the winter heating bills arrive.
	To date for this year's exercise over 12 million payments have been made and, of them, 63,000 (0.5 per cent. off all winter fuel payments made) claims for winter fuel payments suffered a delay in processing, which was due to customers not supplying all the information required to progress their claim.

Winter Fuel Payments: Wansdyke

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for winter fuel payments were made by households in Wansdyke in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Information on winter fuel payment claims made by households in Wansdyke is not available. The following table shows the number of households in Wansdyke constituency receiving a winter fuel payment in the last five years. Figures for winter 2007-08 are not yet available but we expect the numbers to be similar.
	
		
			   Number of households in Wansdyke constituency receiving a winter fuel payment 
			 2002-03 13,635 
			 2003-04 13,940 
			 2004-05 14,335 
			 2005-06 14,680 
			 2006-07 14,970 
			  Notes: 1. Figures from 2002-03 to 2004-05 are rounded to the nearest five.  2. Figures from 2005-06 are rounded to the nearest 10.  3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source:  Information directorate 100 per cent. data.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Trade Unions: Legal Opinion

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of the legal advice commissioned by the Office of Fair Trading on whether trades union members are consumers for the purposes of consumer protection legislation.

Gareth Thomas: The OFT did not commission external legal advice on whether trade union members are consumers for the purposes of consumer protection legislation, conducting a preliminary internal analysis only.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Domestic and Sexual Violence

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on steps to ensure that women are not discouraged from giving evidence in court proceedings in cases of domestic and sexual violence.

Maria Eagle: Successful prosecutions for domestic violence and rape have both increased since 2003. We want to build on this, which is why we have committed to:
	Expanding the Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC) programme;
	Ensuring there are Specialist Officers and Specialist Rape Prosecutors across the country; and
	Making video-recordings of rape victims automatically admissible as evidence-in-chief in trials.
	I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on this matter through the inter ministerial group on sexual and domestic violence.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality which websites were operated by the Government Equalities Office in addition to its main website in each year since its inception.

Maria Eagle: Since its inception in 2007, the Government Equalities Office has operated one website:
	www.equalities.gov.uk

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the policy of the Government Equalities Office is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office's policy is to allow staff time off in lieu for work in lunch breaks, evenings and at other times outside contracted working hours. These arrangements are subject to agreement between individual staff and their line managers and take account of the business needs of the Office.

TREASURY

Adjudicator's Office: Complaints

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints were received by the Adjudicator's Office in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is provided in the Adjudicator's Office annual reports, available from the following website
	http://www.adjudicatorsoffice.gov.uk/publications.htm

Adjudicator's Office: Complaints

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken to resolve complaints made to the Adjudicator's Office was in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Stephen Timms: The average time taken from receipt to resolution was 23 weeks in 2007-08.
	Information relating to 2008-09 will be collated at the end of the financial year and will be published in the Adjudicator's Office 2008-09 annual report.

Adjudicator's Office: Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets his Department set for the Adjudicator's Office to respond to correspondence in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; and what his assessment is of the performance of the Adjudicator's Office against these targets.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs does not set targets for the Adjudicator's Office. The performance targets for the Adjudicator's Office are set out in its annual business plan. The targets for dealing with correspondence, along with performance against these targets, are as follows:
	1. When a customer first contacts the Adjudicator's Office and a written response is required, 95 per cent. of responses will be within 10 working days. Actual performance against this was 97.3 per cent. in 2007-08.
	2. 95 per cent. of investigation correspondence dealt with within 15 days. Actual performance against this was 98.3 per cent. in 2007-08.
	Information relating to 2008-09 performance will collated at the end of the financial year and will be published in the Adjudicator's Office 2008-09 annual report.

Banks: Regulation

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what restrictions he has put in place to prevent the payment of bonuses to bankers who work for those institutions in which the Government has a majority stake.

Ian Pearson: On 13 October, implementing the measures announced on 8 October, the Chancellor announced that the Government would be underwriting capital investments for Royal Bank of Scotland and, on successful merger, for HBOS and Lloyds TSB.
	UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI), which is wholly owned by the Government, will oversee the conditions attached to subscribing to the Government's recapitalisation fund, including in relation to remuneration policies. UKFI will work to ensure management incentivisation based on long-term value maximization, which attracts and retains high quality management and which minimizes the potential for rewarding failure.
	Northern Rock and Bradford and Bingley have their own conditions on remunerationthese are set out in their respective shareholder relationship framework documents, available on the Treasury website.
	More broadly, on 13 October the chief executive of the Financial Services Authority wrote to the chief executives of the major banks and building societies, setting out the criteria for remuneration policies and practices which are properly aligned to sound risk management and controls. The FSA is currently undertaking a review of regulated firms remuneration practices and the authorities have made it clear that failure to comply with the standards set out in the 13 October letter will be reflected in the FSA's risk assessment of firms and will be taken into account when setting capital requirements.

Banks: Regulation

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) guidance and  (b) instructions he has issued to those banks in receipt of public money under the Bank Lending Programme announced on 19 January in respect of lending to overseas-registered companies with (i) operations and (ii) no operations in the United Kingdom.

Ian Pearson: As set out by the Chancellor on 19 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 485-86, the Government intend to negotiate lending agreements with each bank which will be binding and externally audited in return for access to support measures.

Child Trust Fund: Wansdyke

Dan Norris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in Wansdyke constituency have been eligible to receive a voucher to open a child trust fund account in each year since the scheme's inception; and how many such accounts were opened in each of those years.

Ian Pearson: Constituency level data, including parental account opening figures, on Child Trust Fund accounts was published on 6 November 2008 and can be viewed on the HM Revenue and Customs' website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/cons-stats-oct08.pdf.
	This information is not broken down by year as HMRC does not hold the information in that format.

Corporation Tax

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the full-year cost to the Exchequer for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12 of reducing the main corporation tax rate to 25 per cent.;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the full-year cost to the Exchequer for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12 of reducing the small companies rate of corporation tax to 20 per cent.

Stephen Timms: The direct revenue effects of a one percentage point change in both the small companies' rate and the main rate of corporation tax are shown in table 5 of Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs November 2008.
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr08_taxreadyreckoner_287.pdf
	These estimates will be updated at Budget 2009.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years.

Angela Eagle: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	This information relating to correspondence from members of the public could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress the inquiry into the premature disclosure of information from his Department in 2008 has made.

Angela Eagle: It has been the policy of successive Administrations not to comment on the initiation of, content of, or outcome of internal leak inquiries.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which ICT projects initiated by his Department were abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred on each project; who the contractors were; what the date of  (a) commencement and  (b) abandonment was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: In respect of projects prior to September 2008, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) on 10 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1950W, and to the answer given by the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr. Weir) on 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 289W.
	HM Treasury has no record of any projects that have been abandoned since then.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 428W, on departmental ICT, what his most recent estimate is of  (a) the cost and  (b) the completion date of each of the projects referred to; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: In respect of the Consultancy Frameworks Contract, which was completed in July 2008, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 428W.
	The Corporate Shared Service Programme, completed in January 2009, will have actual costs of 1.36 million.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which websites were operated by his Department in addition to its main website in the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The Department has operated the following websites in the last five years:
	www.isb.gov.uk
	http://thegfp.gov.uk
	www.ges.gov.uk
	www.gsr.gov.uk
	www.euro.gov.uk
	www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk
	www.financial-reporting.gov.uk
	www.stakeholdersaving.gov.uk(1)
	www.redbox.gov.uk(1)
	www.policyhub.gov.uk(1)
	www.wga.gov.uk(1)
	www.csren.gov.uk(1)
	www.opg.gov.uk(2)
	www.lyonsinquiry.org(1)
	www.government-accounting.gov.uk(1)
	www.frab.gov.uk(1)
	(1 )These websites have closed or content has been moved to the main Treasury website, Directgov or the civil service site.
	(2 )Ownership of this website has been transferred to HMRC.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which websites are operated by his Department in addition to its main website; and what the operating budget for those websites is.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 683W, on websites operated by the Department and their budgets.

Departmental Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and what was spent on such bonuses in each of those years.

Angela Eagle: Bonuses are paid to senior civil servants to reward and incentivise high performance. Recipients will typically have consistently performed at a very high level. In 2006-07, 69 bonuses were paid at a cost of 517,000 and in 2007-08, 82 bonuses were paid at a cost of 585,000.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much capital expenditure has been brought forward in response to the economic downturn by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies to  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; from which years such expenditure has been brought forward; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The 2008 Pre-Budget Report announced that 3 billion of capital spending from 2010-11 will be brought forward to support businesses and jobs across the country. The Chancellor's Departments have not brought forward any capital expenditure. The Chancellor's Departments and their agencies all have small capital budgets that mainly relate to information technology expenditure. A thorough evaluation was undertaken that concluded it would not be appropriate to bring forward capital expenditure for the Chancellor's Departments. This was due to the limited size of the projects and value for money problems involved in doing so.

Departmental Security

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many departmental identity cards have been reported lost or stolen by staff in HM Revenue and Customs in the last 24 months.

Stephen Timms: In the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008, HMRC staff lost 298 departmental identity cards, and 41 were reported stolen. These losses represent a small proportion of the 30,000 ID cards held by HMRC.
	HMRC provides a Helpdesk facility that enables staff to report such losses and thefts, and allows the Department to take appropriate steps to maintain security across all its estate, including reporting to the police and notification on the card administration database.

Departmental Television

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many flat screen televisions his Department has purchased since 1997.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1889W, to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond).

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1096W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers attended three courses in the period concerned. The courses were intended to enable Ministers to carry out their duties effectively in line with the ministerial code.

Departmental Written Questions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of hon. Members' questions for written answer on a named day his Department has answered on the day named in the 2008-09 Session of Parliament to date.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers endeavour to answer written parliamentary questions promptly wherever possible. Of the 169 named day questions tabled to the Treasury in the current parliamentary Session, 103 (61 per cent.) were answered on the day nominated by questioners.

Financial Services: Regulation

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role his Department played in discussions leading to the recent decision of the Financial Services Authority to remove its prohibition on short selling of shares in financial institutions.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 26 January 2009
	The Financial Services Authority (FSA) reviewed its recent short selling restrictions and, after consulting publicly, decided to extend the short selling disclosure regime until 30 June 2009 and allow its prohibition on the short selling of shares in financial institutions to expire.
	The FSA is independent of Government, though is accountable to Parliament, HM Treasury, regulated firms and consumers. The Government do not have a general power of direction over the FSA.
	The UK tripartite authorities, HM Treasury, the Bank of England, and the FSA, have worked, and continue to work, together to take all necessary steps to ensure the stability of the UK financial system. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Foreign Exchange

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of sterling traded on each day of the last two months.

Ian Pearson: The Government do not estimate daily trading volumes in foreign exchange markets.

Foreign Exchange

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projection he has made of the prevailing exchange rate between the pound sterling and the  (a) euro,  (b) Thai baht and  (c) US dollar in each of the next 12 months.

Ian Pearson: As set out in footnote 2, on page 146 of Pre-Budget Report 2008 (Cm 7484), the Government's economic forecast is based on the assumption that the exchange rate moves in line with an uncovered interest parity condition, consistent with the interest rates underlying the economic forecast. The Government do not publish forecasts of sterling against individual currencies.

Fraud: Currency

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made representations to  (a) the euro area authorities on the abolition of the 500 euro banknote and  (b) the United States administration on abolition of the 100 dollar bill as a means of making criminal payments more difficult.

Ian Pearson: Her Majesty's Government recognise that high denomination banknotes can present a money-laundering risk, and we continue to work with our international partners through the EU's Committee on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to reduce these risks where possible.

Government Shareholding

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  in relation to the preference shares taken by the Government in  (a) Lloyds Bank,  (b) HBOS and  (c) Royal Bank of Scotland, whether non-payment of the preference dividend by the board of directors would be treated as an act of default entitling the Government to initiate proceedings for winding-up the company;
	(2)  in relation to the preference shares taken by the Government in  (a) Lloyds Bank,  (b) HBOS and  (c) Royal Bank of Scotland, if he will bring forward proposals to (i) make them cumulative and (ii) adjust the coupon on the shares to a lower rate;
	(3)  in relation to the preference shares taken by the Government in  (a) Lloyds Bank,  (b) HBOS and  (c) Royal Bank of Scotland, whether, if the board of directors decide to pass the dividend the lost dividend will be recoverable for the public purse.

Ian Pearson: holding answers 20 January 2009
	 The terms of the agreements with the recapitalised banks on preference shares were set out in Chancellor's statements to the House on 8 October 2008, 13 October 2008 and 19 January 2009, and in press notices on HM Treasury's website. The placing and open offer agreements are available in the House of Commons Library.

Members: Correspondence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland's letter to him of 20 October 2008 on petrol prices in Orkney and Shetland.

Angela Eagle: I met with the hon. Member on 4 June to discuss the issues raised in his letter of 20 October 2008 to the Prime Minister and wrote on 24 November 2008.

Public Expenditure

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs the Government plans to create through expenditure on eco-friendly projects; what estimate he has made of the proportion of such jobs which will go to British workers; and how much money the Government plans to spend in this respect.

Angela Eagle: At the 2008 pre-Budget report, the Government announced that 3 billion of capital investment would be brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 to support a number of different industries and sectors through the current downturn. This included a green stimulus of 535 million, comprising:
	100 million new funding for the Warm Front scheme and 50 million brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10;
	60 million to provide to accelerate household energy efficiency and heating measures under the Decent Homes programme;
	300 million to accelerate delivery of up to 200 new rail carriages;
	20 million accelerated flood defence spending; and
	5 million accelerated spend on the British Waterways canal network.
	The Prime Minister has announced that total public sector capital investment is expected to create or support approximately 100,000 jobs across the country in 2009-10.

Revenue and Customs: Complaints

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the HM Revenue and Customs website does not give a postal address for complaints.

Stephen Timms: Tax complaints should be sent to the local tax office. The address for each local office can be found on HMRC's website.
	For all other complaints, the addresses can be found on relevant HMRC correspondence or from HMRC's telephone helpline.

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many pre-surplus staff there were at HM Revenue and Customs and its agencies at the end of each quarter from March 2007 onwards;
	(2)  with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Jim Cousins) of 13 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1123W, on Revenue and Customs: manpower, what the definition is of pre-surplus staff.

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2008,  Official Report, column 197W, on departmental personnel, how many of the pre-surplus staff classified as such upon return from maternity leave; and how many of the pre-surplus staff have been classified as such for at least  (a) six months and  (b) 12 months. [Official Report, 1 June 2009, Vol. 493, c. 1MC.]

Stephen Timms: Since 2005, HMRC have reduced their overall headcount from 105,000 staff to 88,000 staff. HMRC have committed to reducing staff numbers further over the coming years.
	My hon. Friend's answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1473W described how the pre-surplus arrangements work. Pre-surplus status is a term used by HMRC as part of their arrangements for managing workforce changes. When work volumes reduce or it is planned to move work to another location, HMRC use pre-surplus arrangements to help manage the consequent change in staffing requirements. HMRC use this scheme to help re-deploy staff to new roles ahead of any change in staffing requirements in a particular location or business unit.
	Potentially surplus staff are given pre-surplus status and then have priority for any vacancies that arise that they apply for. This allows HMRC to address proactively any potential staffing surplus as a result of a change in the business. Pre-surplus staff continue to carry out essential work for the Department as they await new jobs. This is a sensible way to make best use of the skills of people during a period of radical reconstruction to improve service to customers.
	If pre-surplus measures do not resolve the situation, staff can be declared 'surplus' after which the Department can start to move to redundancy. The pre-surplus arrangements are a key part of our strategy for managing surpluses, and the Department remains committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies as far as this is reasonably practicable.
	Information on pre-surplus information was only retained from the quarter ended September 2007. The figures provided as follows provide a snapshot of the position at each date. The position changes on a daily basis.
	
		
			  Numbers of pre-surplus staff in HMRC 
			   Number 
			 June 2007 n/a 
			 Sept 2007 3,197 
			 Dec 2007 2,420 
			 Mar 2008 1,998 
			 June 2008 2,275 
			 Sept 2008 2,240 
			 Dec 2008 2,865 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	The current number of pre-surplus staff (20 January 2009) is 2,824. The number of pre-surplus staff on maternity leave is 18. The number of staff pre-surplus for at least six months is 34 and there are 21 who have been pre-surplus for more than 12 months.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

David Burrowes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what HM Revenue and Customs' public service agreement and associated targets are for quantities of  (a) heroin,  (b) cocaine and  (c) crack cocaine seized on entry to the UK in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.

Stephen Timms: Public service agreements (PSAs) refer to high level objectives set by Government and shared across Departments, for the current spending review period, 2008-9 to 2010-11. Individual Departments have, for this period, set departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) that will measure their achievement against PSAs and core business objectives. HMRC's DSO3 specifically relates to reducing the amount of illicit imported and exported goods.
	The PSA/DSO targets for heroin and cocaine are set out in the following table. Seizures of crack cocaine are not targeted separatelythe target for cocaine includes crack cocaine.
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  Heroin
			 Number of seizures 61 67 67 
			 Quantity (kg) 700 527 527 
			 
			  Cocaine
			 Number of seizures 1,176 1,174 1,174 
			 Quantity (kg) 2,600 2,368 2,368

Valuation Office: Databases

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) name,  (b) address and  (c) size is of each (i) used and (ii) vacant space for each entry on the e-PIMS property database, excluding sensitive information.

Angela Eagle: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

Welfare Tax Credits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what targets his Department has set for the time taken to process  (a) a notification of a tax credit claimant's change of circumstances and  (b) any subsequent amendment of a tax credit award; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how long on average it has taken to process a notification of  (a) a tax credit claimant's change of circumstances and  (b) any subsequent amendment of a tax credit award in each year since the scheme's introduction; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many notifications of changed circumstances relating to tax credits HM Revenue and Customs received in each month of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Performance outturn for all new claims, renewals and changes of circumstances for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 can be found in the Department's autumn performance reports which are available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm
	Information relating solely to change of circumstance notifications for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Target (Percentage) 
			   86 per cent. in five working days  95 per cent. in 30 working days 
			 2006-07 89.7 92.7 
			 2007-08 89.1 91.6 
		
	
	The majority of changes of circumstances are notified to the tax credits helpline and are processed at the time of the call. The changes that impact on the 30-day target are usually notified in writing.
	The Tax Credit Office now has a separate internal measure that aims to process 80 per cent. of all written notifications in 15 working days and 98 per cent. in 30 calendar days in 2008-09. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is working hard to identify how resources can be most effectively deployed to achieve this aim.
	Detailed information about the number of change of circumstance notifications received is not available in the format requested.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times bailiffs have been deployed with respect to the recovery of tax credit overpayments  (a) in each year since 2003-04 and  (b) in each month in 2008-09 for which information is available; and what the average level of overpayment was.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs does not deploy bailiffs to recover tax credit overpayments.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions his Department has used the services of a private debt collecting company with respect to the recovery of tax credit overpayments  (a) in each year since 2003-04 and  (b) in each month in 2008-09 for which information is available; and what the average level of overpayment was.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs does not currently deploy private debt collecting companies for the recovery of tax credit overpayments.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions he has had with  (a) sector skills councils and  (b) individual employers on the revised Apprenticeship Blueprint, with particular reference to (i) college-based and (ii) work-based programmes.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is leading the development of the revised Apprenticeship Blueprint. The LSC has consulted with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), Standard Setting Bodies (SSBs) and other employer representatives involved with the Apprenticeship Framework Approval Group to develop the revisions to the Apprenticeships Blueprint. The LSC met SSCs, SSBs and other employer representatives in December 2008 to discuss the revisions and a full public consultation on the revised Blueprint will be launched in February 2009. We expect SSCs, employers, colleges and providers of work-based programmes to respond to the consultation.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprentices there were in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Si�n Simon: In the 2006-07 academic year, there were 184,400 apprenticeship starts. The number of apprenticeship starts in 2007-08 was 224,800. This information was published in a statistical first release on 18 December 2008.
	There has been a renaissance in apprenticeships, and starts have been increasing, from 65,000 in 1996-97 with 27 per cent. completion, with 2008 completions standing at 64 per cent. Framework completions have increased from 39,000 in 2001-02 to 111,800 in 2006-07 and 112,600 in 2007-08.
	My right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Higher Education and Intellectual Property, wrote to the hon. Member on 11 March 2008,  Official Report, column 286W, on the subject of how we count apprenticeships. In World-Class Apprenticeships, we announced that we were changing the way we count apprenticeships, moving to counting the number of people starting an apprenticeship in the year ('starts') and the percentage who complete an apprenticeship ('completion rate'). Therefore, information on the total number of apprenticeships in training during the year is not available.

Departmental Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on how many occasions in the last 12 months Ministers in his Department have used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of 700.

Si�n Simon: The information requested is not recorded. As a matter of general principle, we aim to provide as much information as possible when answering written questions and would consider providing an answer, despite it exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold, if it was deemed to be in the public interest.

Educational Institutions: Construction

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which colleges have submitted applications  (a) in principle and  (b) in detail as part of the Building Colleges for the Future programme; which have yet to receive final approval for their projects; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: In 1997-98, the total capital expenditure in further education colleges in England in the financial year 1997-98 was nil.
	In total since that time, this Government have invested 2.4 billion and will be investing a record further 2.3 billion across the next three years.
	Capital funding for further education colleges is administrated by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and I have asked Mark Haysom, the LSC chief executive, to write to my hon. Friend with the further information requested. A copy of his letter will be placed in the House Library.

Educational Institutions: Construction

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of  (a) the adequacy of the Learning and Skills Council's capital budget for further education colleges to fund pending capital projects and  (b) the effect of spending on such projects on local economies.

Si�n Simon: In 1997-98, the total capital expenditure in further education colleges in England in the financial year 1997-98 was nil.
	In total since that time, this Government have invested 2.4 billion and will be investing a record further 2.3 billion across the next three years.
	Currently more than 250 projects are under way and funded by the LSChelped by the recent decision to accelerate 110 million in 2008-09 from future budgets to help beat the downturn.
	In total, since the programme began under this Government, nearly 700 projects, at 330 colleges have been agreed. Only 42 colleges have not yet benefited from investment. The programme has therefore been a huge success.
	But the pace of demand for capital funding has increased. Projects and the scale of Government funding they require are becoming increasingly ambitious.
	In addition there are signs that the ability of colleges to raise their own funds for proposed projects is being affected by the downturn.
	It is for this reason that over the next few weeks the LSC will be working closely with colleges that have submitted or are working on bids, to look at the individual current positions before making further funding decisions.
	As a result of this the consideration of a small number of applications that were due for decisionboth in principle and in detailhas been deferred from December to March.
	Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2003/04 into the effects of capital investment on educational outcomes found that capital investment appears to have a marked effect in increasing the level of student retention on courses and success. Frontier Economics updated the research in 2007 ('Evaluating the impact of capital expenditure in further Education' available from the Learning and Skills Council website) and confirmed a link with higher student enrolment.
	We know that colleges build strong communities economically and socially. To ensure we maximise the value of our capital investment, all contractors working on college projects are now required to have in place a formal training plan that maximises access to apprenticeships, work-based learning and other training opportunities.

GCE A-Level

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of A level entrants were  (a) 19 and  (b) over 21 years of age in each year since 1997.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 shows the number of learners in further education undertaking at least one A level or AS level in each academic year since 2003/04 by age group, the earliest year for which we have comparable information.
	Table 2 shows proportions, by age, of learners in further education undertaking at least one A or AS level.
	Awarding Body data on A level examination entries is analysed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families as part of the School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables publication. However, this work only covers qualifications entered for by 16-18 year olds. Therefore, we do not have information readily available on adults entered for A level examinations.
	
		
			  Table 1: Learners in further education undertaking at least one A or AS level by age, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			  Age  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Under 19 201,800 199,900 197,700 197,800 197,800 
			 19 6,900 6,500 5,600 4,900 4,800 
			 20 3,700 3,000 2,400 2,000 1,800 
			 21 2,300 2,000 1,500 1,300 1,000 
			 Over 21 30,700 26,900 21,500 16,000 11,700 
			 Total 245,400 238,300 228,700 222,000 217,100 
			  Notes: 1. Age is based on age as at 31 August (academic age). 2. This information does not include learners studying A/AS Levels in Schools or Higher Education Institutions. 3. Figures may not sum to total due to rounding. 4. If a learner is studying A/AS levels over more than one year, they will be counted in each year for which they are studying. 5. It is not been possible to split out A level learners from those undertaking AS levels.  Source: FE ILR 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Proportions, by age, of learners in further education undertaking at least one A or AS level by age, 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			  Percentage 
			  Age  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Under 19 82 84 86 89 91 
			 19 3 3 2 2 2 
			 20 2 1 1 1 1 
			 21 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Over 21 13 11 9 7 5 
			 Total 100 100 100 100 100 
			  Notes: 1. Age is based on age as at 31 August (academic age). 2. This information does not include learners studying A/AS Levels in Schools or Higher Education Institutions. 3. Figures may not sum to total due to rounding. 4. If a learner is studying A/AS levels over more than one year, they will be counted in each year for which they are studying. 5. It is not been possible to split out A level learners from those undertaking AS levels.  Source: FE ILR

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he plans to reply to the letter of 3 December 2008 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North on the Learning and Skills Council.

Si�n Simon: A response to the hon. Member for Walsall, North's letter was sent on 26 January 2009.

Students: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress has been made on the first annual review of the list of subjects exempt from the restrictions on funding for students taking an equivalent or lower qualification.

David Lammy: The Secretary of State established when he finalised this policy in January 2008 that the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) should conduct an annual review on its impact. I wrote to HEFCE earlier this month setting out the terms of reference for the review. I told HEFCE that they should consider whether there is evidence that any changes to the current approach will help universities respond more effectively to the challenges of the economic downturn. I also instructed that a review should not lead to a significant net increase in the overall number of ELQ students studying exempt or protected subjects because we will continue to give priority for public funding to those who have not yet obtained a first higher education qualification. HEFCE has started work on the review and plan to report later in the year.

Vocational Training: Finance

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) adults and  (b) adults over 25 years received Skills for Life funding in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05 and (iii) 2005-06.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 shows LSC-funded Skills for Life participationthe number of learners aged 25 or over as at 31 August (academic year age) and all adults (aged 16+), in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 academic years. Information on Skills for Life participation is not available prior to 2004/05.
	
		
			  Table 1: LSC-funded Skills for Life Participation, 2004/05 and 2005/06 
			   2004/05  2005/06 
			 Adults aged 25 and over 232,100 300,100 
			 Total Adults (all ages, 16+) 870,600 1,010,800 
			 Notes: 1. These figures include learners at further education colleges (including learndirect), Work Based Learning (including apprenticeships, Train to Gain and entry to Employment) and Adult Safeguarded learning. 2. Figures are a count of the number of learners that participated at any point during the year. Learners undertaking more than one course are counted only once for each data collection. However, learners that are included in different data collections, whether that relates to different years or different funding streams will be counted more than once. For example, if a learner is undertaking an apprenticeship and Train to Gain qualification, they will be counted twice in this table.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to involve Afghan nationals not resident in Afghanistan in his Department's efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in regular contact with the Afghan community and non-governmental organisations in the UK. We have invited Afghans living in the UK to participate in round-table briefing sessions with officials to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, and will do so again in future. We are holding a conference early next year involving the Afghan community, non-governmental organisations and other interested parties The conference will feature prominent Afghans based in the UK speaking about the situation in Afghanistan, and will seek to promote debate about how best we can work together to support stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan.

Armed Conflict: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on achieving improvements to post-conflict stabilisation policy at the UN and EU; and what contribution the UK is making to these efforts in the areas of  (a) strategy and leadership,  (b) capacity and  (c) funding, as referred to in his Department's Autumn 2008 Performance Report.

David Miliband: Following the UK-chaired May Security Council debate, the UN Secretary-General was mandated to produce a report on Peacebuilding and Early Recovery by May 2009. A UK-hosted conference in July and a follow-up conference in Copenhagen have helped to build international consensus on the need to address three key gapsin strategy and leadership, capacity and funding. We are working to ensure that the UN Secretary-General's report is ambitious and provides the basis for real improvements in delivery on the ground. Ministers and senior officials have met with key UN officials and other member states to urge an ambitious reform agenda. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Conflict Resolution Mechanisms visited New York and Brussels to emphasise the importance that the UK places on this work. In the context of the EU, we ensured that a focus on post-conflict stabilisation reform was included in the review of the European Security Strategy in December, and the UK will continue to push forward work to improve capabilities for EU missions during the Czech EU presidency.

Charities

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which  (a) charities and  (b) voluntary organisations his Department has provided funding in the last five years; and how much funding was provided to each.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Climate Change

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of its capacity to adapt to climate change; and what plans he has to publish a climate change adaptation strategy.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works to ensure that its estate is as sustainable as possible and that we properly manage all environmental risks to our operations.
	The FCO works with other Government Departments notably the Department of Energy and Climate Change to deliver Government objectives on climate change and is committed to delivering a low carbon, high growth global economy.
	The FCO consular strategy takes into account that climate change may produce more extreme weather events requiring a crisis response (for example, an increase in the number and intensity of tropical storms). We work closely with the travel industry to minimise any risks to British nationals overseas in such circumstances.
	The FCO has no plans to publish a climate change adaptation strategy, but details of all of the above work can be found in the FCO annual report.

Commonwealth Scholarships

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the right hon. Lord Morris of Manchester of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, House of Lords column WA45, on the Commonwealth Scholarships Programme, whether the working group on scholarships has been formed; what its  (a) composition and  (b) mandate is; and when it is expected to report.

David Miliband: The interdepartmental working group on scholarships has been established. Its membership includes the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, the Department for International Development, UK Trade and Investment, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government (to be confirmed), the Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland, Universities UK, Research Councils UK, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, the Scottish Funding Council, The Russell Group, the British Council, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the Confederation of British Industry (to be confirmed).
	The group is a vehicle for the exchange of information and ideas between government, the higher education sector and organisations which deliver scholarships in order to improve the UK scholarship offer to international students. Its terms of reference are for approval at its first meeting on 19 February 2009, but I have placed the draft terms in the Library of the House.
	The group does not have a deadline to produce a report. It will continue to work for as long as is useful.

Departmental Freedom of Information

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been made to his Department since 2005; how many such requests were  (a) agreed to and  (b) refused in each of those years; how many refusals were subject to appeal to the Information Commissioner in each of those years; how many appeals were successful; if he will place in the Library copies of the material subsequently provided in each case; how much was spent by his Department opposing each appeal; which (i) consultants and (ii) law firms were employed by his Department in connection with each appeal; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister of State for Justice my right hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills) on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 507W.

Departmental Manpower

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to page 7 of his Department's Autumn 2008 Performance Report, which 130 UK-based policy slots are in the process of being deleted; and what the 130 new positions created are.

David Miliband: In March 2008, FCO Ministers agreed to realign the Department's global network in order to deliver its new strategic framework. This has resulted in a shift of staff to strengthen our presence in countries critical to the achievement of our objectives and to reinforce our policy work in London, and a reduction in staffing in Europe.
	By March 2009, we intend to have created around 170 new policy positions filled by UK-based staff, and we are in the process of deleting around 130 old positions. We will keep the staffing of our global network and UK operation under regular review to ensure that we remain best placed to handle our international priorities.
	On current plans, these changes will include the following:
	 New policy positions
	 DSO 5 Counter Terrorism and Weapons Proliferation
	Seven new D6 (First Secretary) positions in the Middle East, North Africa, East Africa and South Asia.
	New C5 (First Secretary) position at UKMIS Vienna
	Six new C4 (Second Secretary) positions in North Africa, South Asia, Indonesia, Sudan, Washington and at UKDIS Geneva.
	New C4 (x7), B3 (x2) and A2 positions in the FCO, London, and four new C4 positions in a joint FCO/Home Office Unit.
	 DSO 6 Prevent and Resolve Conflict
	New D7 position in Baghdad.
	New D6 positions in Baghdad, Khartoum, Kinshasa, Rabat/Nouakchott, Kabul (x2), Lashkar Gah (x5), Islamabad, Washington and UKMIS New York.
	New C5 position in Kabul.
	New C4 positions in Ankara, Kuwait, Erbil, Damascus, Tripoli, Tbilisi, Astana, Dhaka, Kabul (x2), Lashkar Gah, Islamabad and Washington.
	New B3 (Third Secretary) positions in Kabul (x2), Lashkar Gah and Beirut.
	New A2 (attache) positions in Kabul (x3) and Lashkar Gah
	New SMS, D7 (x4) D6 (x7), C5, C4 (xl4), B3 (x7), A2 (x4) and Al positions in the FCO, London.
	 DSO 7 Promote a Low Carbon, High Growth Global Economy
	New Senior Management Structure (SMS) positions in Beijing and New Delhi.
	New D7 position in Moscow.
	New D6 positions in Brasilia (x2), Mexico, Ottawa, Washington, Singapore, Paris, Rome, Pretoria, New Delhi and Jakarta (x2).
	New C5 positions in Beijing and Guangzhou.
	New C4 positions in Washington, Brasilia, Mexico, Vancouver, Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Jakarta, Seoul, Tokyo, Moscow (x2), New Delhi and Copenhagen.
	New B3 position in Brasilia.
	New SMS (x2), D7 (x2), D6 (x5), C4 (xlO), B3 (x6), A2 (x3) and Al positions in the FCO, London.
	 DSO 8 (Develop Effective International Institutions)
	New SMS position in Warsaw.
	New D6 positions in Brasilia, Stockholm, Addis Ababa and Moscow
	New C4 position in Beijing.
	New SMS position in the FCO, London.
	 Deleted positions
	 Europe
	A2 positions in Athens, Belgrade, Berne, Bratislava, Brussels Embassy (x2), Bucharest (x2), Budapest, Dublin, Gibraltar (x2), Helsinki, Ljubljana, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome, Sofia, Tirana, The Hague, Valletta (X2) and Vienna.
	B3 positions in Berne, Athens (x2), Brussels, Gibraltar, Lisbon, Luxembourg, Madrid, Oslo, Paris (x2), Riga, Rome (x2), Stockholm, Tallinn, the Hague, Warsaw, Zagreb.
	C4 positions in Athens, Berlin (x2), Bratislava, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Kiev, Lisbon, Oslo, Prague, Sofia, The Hague, Warsaw.
	C5 position in Berlin.
	D6 positions in Berlin (x2), Bratislava, Budapest, Dublin, Ljubljana, Madrid, Paris (x4), Rome, Sarajevo, Vilnius.
	D7 positions in Brussels and Bucharest.
	SMS positions in Prague, Rome, The Hague and Warsaw.
	 Americas
	SMS position in Canada.
	D6 positions in the United States network (x2), Brasilia and Buenos Aires.
	C5 positions in Antigua and the US network.
	C4 positions in Brasilia, Mexico City, Guatemala and the US network.
	B3 positions in Kingston and Canada.
	A2 positions in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and the US network.
	 FCO, London
	SMS, D6 (x2), C5, C4 (x4), B3 (x4), A2, Al positions in Sustainable Development and Business Group.
	SMS, D7, C5, C4, B3, A2, Al positions in Science and Innovation Group.
	B3 position in Climate Change and Energy Croup.
	D6 (x4), C4, B3 (x2), Al positions in Drugs and International Crime Department.
	D6 (x2), C4, A2 positions in Counter Terrorism Department.
	B3 position in Counter Proliferation Department.

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the planned allocative efficiencies for CSR07, set out in the Table of Value for Money Projects on page 26 of his Department's Autumn 2008 Performance Report, will be achieved; and if he will provide a breakdown of the changes.

David Miliband: Allocative efficiencies in the comprehensive spending review value for money programme are generated when resources are reassigned from lower priority areas to release funding for reinvestment in higher priority areas.
	We aim to provide a full breakdown, of all allocative efficiencies achieved in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 2009 departmental report.

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) are responsible for providing ministerial transport in line with the ministerial code. The GCDA service is provided at a standard monthly charge during working hours and no additional cost would usually be incurred for transporting Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises.
	Information on the expenditure incurred for ministerial transport by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for each of the last five financial years were given in a written answer by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 30 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 578-80W, and in a written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 116-18WS.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office gives managers authority to allow their staff to take time off in lieu as an alternative to payment for overtime, by mutual agreement, when they are required to work outside contracted hours.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not maintain a central record of the number of days taken off in lieu by its staff serving in either of these categories in the United Kingdom or overseas. Time off in lieu is authorised and managed locally by line managers.

Diplomatic Service: Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 25 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 1272-3W, on ambassadors (education), where his Department's assessment development centres are located.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds its assessment centres at Wiston House, Wilton Park, Steyning, West Sussex.
	Wilton Park is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office executive agency.

Diplomatic Services: Equality

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ambassadors and high commissioners are  (a) male and  (b) female and identify themselves as (i) white and (ii) from another ethnic group.

Gillian Merron: UK heads of mission overseas are designated high commissioner when accredited to a Commonwealth state, and ambassador when accredited to a foreign state. In dependent territories they serve as governors.
	28 out of 193 staff currently serving as UK heads of mission overseas are female.
	Five UK heads of mission have recorded that they are from a non-white British ethnic minority, and five opted not to declare their ethnicity.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to increasing the diversity of its work force at all levels, including its senior representatives. Our objective is both to reflect the diversity of modern Britain at home and overseas and to promote equality and harness different approaches and perspectives.

Faroe Islands: Whales

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to hold discussions with Faroese representatives on the recent slaughter of whales in the Faroe Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The UK recognises with deep concern that these actions still occur in Faroese waters and we regularly raise the matter with Denmark at the International Whaling Commission.
	The UK will continue to be extremely critical of these small cetacean (dolphin and porpoise) hunts because of their limited regulation, cruelty and unsustainable numbers taken.
	All cetaceans are protected in EU waters under the Habitats Directive and no EU country hunts small or large cetaceans. We would like to see the Faroese observe this and other EU conservation directives in their efforts to seek greater integration and co-operation with the EU.

Gaza: Overseas Visitors

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government are assisted in the repatriation of any UK citizens from Gaza during the conflict in the region.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 19 January 2009
	We are providing consular assistance to all British nationals in Gaza who require it. In view of the particular circumstances in Gaza, this includes those with dual UK/Palestinian nationality. So far 11 individuals have requested permission to leave, which we are arranging to facilitate.
	As elsewhere in the world, we will provide consular assistance to EU and in certain circumstances to Commonwealth nationals whose countries do not have diplomatic representation. Currently three persons have requested assistance to leave, which we are facilitating.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many individuals working for private military security companies registered in the UK have been killed on duty in Iraq since 2003.

Bill Rammell: The Government do not maintain figures detailing the number of fatalities or casualties of the employees working for private military security companies in Iraq, be they registered in the UK or elsewhere. We could find no collation of this information held by other bodies or organisations.

Iraq: Weapons

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 883W, on Iraq: weapons, what reports he has received from the International Atomic Energy Agency of its discussions with the orginators of the intelligence.

Bill Rammell: As I said in my answer to my hon. Friend on 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 883W, we understand that the originators of the intelligence discussed the issue with the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), but have not received any further reports on this matter. Intelligence is exchanged on a confidential basis and we would not expect the IAEA to discuss with us such information it had received from a third country.

Languages

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 9 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1660W, on languages, how much has been paid in the current financial year to each of the 15 foreign language training providers who have a framework agreement with his Department.

David Miliband: The following table provides these details.
	
		
			  Foreign language training provider 
			
			 Ana Lazarevic 44,675.00 
			 Communicaid 377,305.72 
			 European Business School 0.00 
			 Farnham Castle 4,820.90 
			 Gateway 141,771.67 
			 Institut Francais 38,221.50 
			 King's College London 131,839.49 
			 L2 82,892.70 
			 Language Services Direct 64,674.55 
			 LSI 2,202.70 
			 LSE 0.00 
			 Linguarama 40,888.83 
			 Rainbow 42,349.25 
			 SOAS 198,421.00 
			 WLC 96,813.05

Languages

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what budget allocation his Department has made for the services of foreign language training providers in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

David Miliband: The budget allocation for 2008-09 for provision of language training was 4.29 million. The budget for 2009-10 has not yet been allocated.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether  (a) the UK and  (b) other countries through the UN (i) have organised and (ii) plan to organise medical aid to assist Israeli casualties following rocket attacks from Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Israel has reported 13 casualties as a result of the current violence in Gaza only four of them civilians. The Israeli Government have made no request to the international community for medical aid as a result of rocket attacks from Gaza. The UK has been clear in its call for an immediate and durable ceasefire to bring the violence to an end.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations on discrimination against Jewish communities in Arab states; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK condemns any discrimination against religious communities and minorities including Jewish communities. We consistently raise human rights in discussions at the UN and directly with Arab states, Israel and other states at all levels.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) Arab states and (ii) the government of Israel on discrimination against Jewish communities in Arab states; what response was received from each; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK condemns any discrimination against religious communities and minorities including Jewish communities. We consistently raise human rights in discussions with Arab states, Israel and other states at all levels.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to allow the sale of arms to Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The policy is absolutely clear: where there is a clear risk of shipments of exports being used either for internal repression or for external aggression the export licence is not granted.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations on the rights of Jewish refugees from Arab states; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have taken no such steps and have no plans do to so.

Nigeria: Oil

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in the Niger Delta; and what discussions he has had with the Nigerian Government on this matter.

Gillian Merron: The Government remain concerned at the continuing high level of violence and instability in the Niger Delta. The key to resolving the crisis is domestic political will within Nigeria, and a systematic approach to security, governance and development. We support the Nigerian Government on Delta issues, for example through a 2 million project to promote transparency and accountability of state and local government expenditure in the Delta and through support on maritime training. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, has discussed these issues several times with the Nigerian authorities in follow-up to discussions between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Yar'Adua in July 2008. He also discussed the Delta with the Foreign Minister Maduekwe in December 2008 and with President Yar'Adua in January 2009.

Nigeria: Violence

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Nigeria on action against the perpetrators of the violence which took place in Jos between 28 and 30 November 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Following the rioting in Jos on 28-30 November 2008, the Government have had discussions with the Nigerian authorities, both at local and at ministerial level, and will continue to monitor the situation carefully. The government of Nigeria has taken various measures, including a temporary curfew, to avoid further violence. The Nigerian Inter-Religious Council has held a meeting in Jos under the chairmanship of the Sultan of Sokoto and Catholic Archbishop John Onaiyekan to help prevent future violence.

Nuclear Fuels

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what timescale has been agreed for the International Atomic Energy Agency to approve the conditions and modalities for a nuclear fuel bank, as set out in the Conclusions of the 2914th meeting of the General Affairs Council on 8 December 2008.

David Miliband: The UK is continuing to work with our European partners to achieve the successful establishment of a Nuclear Fuel Bank under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) auspices. As part of our ongoing commitment to this project, the EU has pledged to provide 25 million to assist the Nuclear Threat Initiative in achieving its announced goal of $100 million. Although it is not possible to predict when modalities and conditions for such a project will be agreed, the matter will be raised at the next IAEA Board of Governors, to be held in Vienna from 2 to 6 March 2009. The matter is also the subject of ongoing discussion at the EU Working Group on Non-Proliferation.

Nuclear Fuels

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's contribution will be to the 25 million euro the European Union is planning to contribute for the creation of an International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear fuel bank; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: EU Foreign Ministers agreed in December to contribute up to 25 million once the conditions and modalities for the nuclear fuel bank have been defined and approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors. At least 80 per cent. of the EU contribution will come from the European Commission's Instrument for Stability, a tool designed to address situations of crisis and instability in third countries. Any balance is expected to be financed by the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy Budget. Details of the UK's contribution to the EU budget are set out at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/institutions/britain-in-the-european-union/eu-policies/economic-and-social-affairs/eu-budget

Nuclear Weapons: Arms Control

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the statement by the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Derby South ( Margaret Beckett), of 14 March 2007,  Official Report, column 301, in response to the hon. Member for Ilford, South (Mike Gapes), what subsequent discussions he has had with the governments of  (a) India and  (b) Pakistan on their becoming signatories to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty; and what response he received.

Bill Rammell: Ministers and officials regularly discuss nuclear non-proliferation with the governments of India and Pakistan. We make clear our wish to see both countries sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as non-nuclear weapon states. Although neither country has indicated it is ready to accede to the NPT, we are working to bring both India and Pakistan closer to the international non proliferation mainstream, including through the negotiation of a fissile material cut-off treaty.

Rashid Rauf

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Government on the suspected death of Mr. Rashid Rauf following a US air strike on the village of Ali Khel on 22 November 2008.

Bill Rammell: We do not have confirmation of the death of Rashid Rauf. Following a request from his family, we have requested official confirmation from the Government of Pakistan.
	No specific representation has been made to the US Administration.

Russia: Broadcasting

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his French counterpart the termination of Russian language broadcasts by EU member states to  (a) Russia,  (b) Belarus,  (c) Azerbaijan and  (d) Uzbekistan.

Caroline Flint: We did not discuss with the French presidency the termination of Russian language broadcasts by other EU member states to Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan or Uzbekistan. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans at present to discuss this with the current Czech EU presidency. The UK did raise with the French the BBC World Service's Azerbaijan service (that includes Russian broadcasting) ending on 31 December 2008 by order of the Azeri National Radio and TV Broadcast Council. We will continue to monitor the situation and will raise with the Czechs as appropriate.

Sight Impaired

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidelines his Department follows in respect of making printed materials and forms accessible to people suffering red/green colour blindness.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have any specific guidelines in respect of making printed materials and forms accessible to people suffering red/green colour blindness.

Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance the Government have provided for the deployment of the African Union force in Somalia in the  (a) last and  (b) current financial year; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: In financial year 2007-08, the UK committed 8.3 million support to AMISOM (the African Union force in Somalia). This included assistance with Ugandan and Burundian troop sustainment (fuel, food, rotation costs, airlift); assistance with Burundian troop allowances; and supplies to the Ugandan battalions (trucks, vehicle spares etc).
	We have allocated and expect to provide around 9 million of assistance this financial year, including further support to Burundian troops. We will keep this sum under review, in the light of the situation on the ground in Somalia and of discussions in the UN Security Council on the UN role.
	The UK also contributes to the EU's African peace facility, which has provided funds of 19.7 million (euros) to AMISOM between March 2007 and December 2008. A further 20 million (euros) will be provided in 2009.

St. Helena: Airports

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on access to St. Helena after the planned retirement from service in 2010 of RMS St. Helena; what the consequences for that policy are of the decision to postpone the St. Helena airport project; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 836-37W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn).

Students: Finance

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) grants and  (b) loans his Department has given to student organisations in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the purpose was of the payment in each case.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	FCO posts overseas may provide grants or loans to student organisations as part of programmes that contribute toward their strategic objectives. Individual student scholarships, to study in Britain as part of the Chevening Scholarship Programme, are administered on our behalf by the British Council and totalled 31.3 million in 2007-08.

Terrorism

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding his Department has made available for the Government's counter-radicalisation agenda for each year until 2010-11.

Bill Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has allocated approximately 80 million for counter-radicalisation over the next three years: 19 million in 2008-09, 24 million in 2009-10 and 37 million in 2010-11.

Thailand: Politics and Government

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government has made representations to the Thai government on the recent anti-government protestors' blockade of Bangkok's two main airports; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I spoke to the Thai ambassador on 28 November 2008 to urge the Thai authorities to do everything in their power to restore public order and reopen Bangkok's airports. I emphasised the urgent need to assist those British nationals affected by the blockade and underlined the damage the situation was doing to Thailand's international reputation.
	In addition, from the day protests at the airports began, our embassy in Bangkok has repeatedly passed similar messages to senior members of the Thai Government, military, major political parties and others with influence on the situation. On 4 December 2008, the British ambassador participated in a joint demarche with US, EU, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Korea colleagues and spoke to caretaker Prime Minister Chavarat Charnivirakul, emphasising that Thailand's leaders should work to ensure future political activity was legal and not aimed at Thailand's visitors or wider economic interests.

Treaty of Lisbon

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government plans to restart its contingency preparatory work for implementation of the Lisbon Treaty should it come into force.

Caroline Flint: The Government will in no way pre-empt the decisions of those countries that have yet to ratify the Lisbon treaty. However, in light of the decisions at the December 2008 European Council, we will now work on all possible scenarios. This will include preparing for the possibility that the Lisbon treaty will come into force. We have a responsibility to engage in discussions to ensure that any institutional arrangements being planned for the event that the Lisbon treaty comes into force reflect our national interest. Not to do so would be irresponsible. I can, however, assure the House that work will remain on a contingency basis only and that no formal decisions will be taken unless and until the treaty enters into force.

Ukraine: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he  (a) has had since July 2008 and  (b) plans to have with EU counterparts on levels of anti-Semitism in (i) Ukraine and (ii) Russia; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: We monitor these issues closely with our EU partners in Brussels, Kyiv, and in Moscow. We have previously expressed our concerns about xenophobia and racism at a senior level to the Ukrainian authorities. Racism was raised with Russian authorities by the EU in human rights talks in October 2008, and we had a thorough discussion of the issue in our own bilateral human rights talks with the Russians on 16 January this year. Both countries understand the seriousness with which we view these questions. We will continue to monitor this situation and raise these matters with the appropriate authorities in future, should it be necessary to do so.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Consultants

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 12 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1209W, on departmental consultants, how much his Department, its agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies spent on external consultants between May 2007 and March 2008.

Shaun Woodward: Information is collated on an annual basis from April to March. In the period April 2007 to March 2008, my Department, its agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies spent 4,419,074 on external consultants.
	The Northern Ireland Office formalised its approach to the employment of consultants when it introduced its Policy on the Use of External Consultants/Professional Services in July 2006. Staff throughout the department are now more conscious of the public interest in the subject and of the need for a strong case before considering the employment of consultants.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Business areas may make local arrangements with staff to allow an adjustment to their flexible working hours time sheet if a requirement to work through a lunch break or in the evening is unavoidable.
	Staff who are required to work at other times outside contracted working hours i.e. Saturday or Sunday are compensated with an overtime payment appropriate to their grade band. Staff who are required to work on any public or bank holiday are compensated by time off in lieu equal to the hours of attendance plus a payment at single time rate for the hours of attendance. When time off in lieu cannot be given, payment for all of the hours is given at the rate of double time (overtime grades) or single time (non-overtime grades). Payment is subject to the appropriate overriding maxima. Staff who are required to work on any privilege holiday are compensated by time off in lieu equal to the hours of attendance. When time off in lieu cannot be given, payment for all of the hours worked is given at the rate of double time (overtime grades) or single time (non-overtime grades).

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what cars are  (a) owned,  (b) leased,  (c) hired and  (d) otherwise regularly used by his Department, broken down by cubic capacity of engine.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 10W.
	In addition, my Department leases the following cars:
	
		
			  Make  CC  Number 
			 Volvo 2500 2 
			 Seat 1900 1 
			 Volkswagen Golf 2000 1 
			 Ford Mondeo 2000 1 
		
	
	Whilst in Northern Ireland on official business Northern Ireland Office Ministers use vehicles provided by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
	No vehicles are owned or hired.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Recruitment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many former Royal Ulster Constabulary police officers have been recruited by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and at what cost.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the chief constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Prisoners

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners in Northern Ireland were detained as a result of non-payment of fines in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1644W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the budget of his Department's provincial reconstruction team in Helmand province has been in each year since 2002; how much has been spent in each year; which organisations have managed the projects undertaken; what monitoring, impact assessments and evaluations have been undertaken in respect of each project in each year since 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK took responsibility for Helmand province through the establishment of a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in 2006. The PRT combines the efforts of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Department for International Development (DFID) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in a comprehensive approach to development. Accordingly, the PRT delivers reconstruction and development projects from a tri-departmental budget managed jointly by FCO, DFID and MOD. 7.04 million was spent in 2006-07 and 9.99 million in 2007-08 from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP). To date, 14.08 million (of a Stabilisation Aid Fund budget of 34.41 million) has been spent in 2008-09. Prior to the establishment of the PRT in 2006, there was no specific allocation of funding to Helmand province.
	The tri-departmental funding facilitates a range of projects in Counter Narcotics, Rule of Law, Strategic Communications, Governance, Political activities and Area Based Stabilisation. These projects are administered in Lashkar Gah or London, dependent on the implementing agent. Projects are managed through a range of partners including the Afghan Government, local community organisations, international or local non-governmental organisations or external contractors. Programmes are reviewed and updated monthly by an official in the embassy in Kabul and the PRT in Lashkar Gah. Projects are evaluated at six-monthly intervals.
	In addition to this tri-departmental budget, the FCO, DFID and MOD also have individual budget allocations. From its bilateral programme fund, the FCO spent 17,000 in 2007-08 on Helmand specific projects.

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department have allocated to the Thailand Burma Border Consortium for 2009-10.

Michael Foster: In December 2008, the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) submitted, through Christian Aid, a funding proposal to the Department for International Development (DFID) covering three years from April 2009 to March 2012. DFID is considering this proposal in consultation with Christian Aid, other donors to TBBC and TBBC itself.

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of staff in his Department have been  (a) investigated,  (b) suspended and  (c) dismissed for losing (i) memory sticks, (ii) laptop computers, (iii) desktop computers and (iv) mobile telephones belonging to his Department in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: All losses of the listed items are investigated, however, the Department for International Development (DFID) does not retain records of the number of staff investigated who were neither suspended nor dismissed. No DFID civil servants have been suspended or dismissed for losing such items in this period.

HIV Infection

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department funds the use of oral mouth swabs to diagnose acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Ivan Lewis: UK Government funded programmes to halt and reverse the spread of HIV and AIDS in developing countries, cover prevention, voluntary counselling and testing, treatment and care. These funds are typically channelled through budget support at the country level to health programmes or as contributions to the core budgets or pooled funds of UN organisations. Information on disaggregated methods used to test for HIV is not therefore readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that in 2007, 96 per cent. of the HIV antibody tests procured through its bulk procurement scheme were rapid tests, which involve a simple blood test taken from a pin prick. No information on uptake of oral tests is available, and WHO makes no recommendation as to their suitability for use.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the grade and salary range was of each member of his Department's staff seconded to support the Quartet Middle East Envoy in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; how many such staff at each grade and salary range will be so seconded in 2009; how much his Department spent on such staff in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) seconded one member of staff to the Office of the Quartet Representative in Jerusalem to provide expert governance analysis. The secondment began in August 2007 and will finish in January 2010. The post is DFID grade A1. The salary range for the post for 2007-08 was 53,490 to 64,925 and for 2008-09 is 55,814 to 66,873.
	The total amount spent on the secondment (including salary and support costs) in 2007-08 was 107,228. In 2008-09 we expect costs to be 190,549.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much direct aid his Department has provided to Gaza in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

Douglas Alexander: UK development aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) is for both the West Bank and Gaza. Although some of our aid is earmarked for activities in Gaza, the majority is given for activities in both Gaza and the West Bank.
	In the calendar year 2008, we provided 82.3 million to the OPTs. Of this, the following benefited Palestinians living in Gaza: 6.8 million for immediate humanitarian assistance to Gaza announced on 31 December; 19 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to help Palestinian refugees in the region, including the 70 per cent. of Gazans who are refugees; 2 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for humanitarian assistance; and 50.45 million to the Palestinian Authority which helped it provide essential public services in both Gaza and the West Bank.
	As announced on 18 January 2009, the UK has pledged an additional 20 million to help meet needs in Gaza, bringing the total UK response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to nearly 27 million since the conflict started.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how grant aid from the Government to the Palestinian Authority was used over the last three years, broken down by project;
	(2)  how much development aid the Government have given to the Palestinian Authority in each of the last three years.

Douglas Alexander: In 2005-06 we gave 13,715,862 to the Palestinian Authority (PA) (including 10 million in emergency budget support through the World Bank Trust Fund); in 2006-07 we gave 14,525,065 to the PA (including 11.875 million through the European Commission Temporary International Mechanism (TIM)); and in 2007-08 we gave 44,143,585 to the PA (including 18.45 million through TIM/PEGASE and 20 million through the World Bank Trust Fund).
	The following table shows the support we have given to the Palestinian Authority over the last three financial years, broken down by projects.
	
		
			  () 
			  Project  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Support to the Palestinian Negotiations Support Unit 1,530,248 815,813 433,627 
			 Support to the Office of the President   187,500 
			 Support to Palestinian Civil Policing   1,000,000 
			 Palestinian Police Support 244,911   
			 Governance Support Facility   276,484 
			 EC TIM/ PEGASE  11,875,000 18,450,000 
			 World Bank Multi-Donor Trust Fund 10,000,777   
			 World Bank Trust Fund   20,000,000 
			 Funding to pay Private sector arrears owed by the PA   3,000,000 
			 Public administration and Civil Service reform 1,365,093 1,720,739 794,279 
			 Capacity building on Anti Money Laundering/Counter Terrorism Funding  8,405 9,695 
			 Unification of Palestinian legislation  15,200  
			 Preparation work for Palestinian Recovery Programme 74,848   
			 Utilisation of 1997 Palestinian census data 250,000   
			 Pro-poor planning 71,889   
			 Economic Policy programme 38,263   
			 Gaza midwifery 20,854   
			 Police Adviser 39,629   
			 Aquifer management 79,350 50,597  
			 Total 13,715,862 14,525,065 44,143,585

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the proportion of his Department's direct aid to Zimbabwe which has reached its intended recipients in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: The delivery of UK aid in Zimbabwe, alongside that of UN and other international agencies, is rigorously monitored and subject to regular reporting, independent evaluation and financial audit. Our estimation has been that UK assistance reaches its intended recipients. When we do hear of any attempt to divert aid, the programme in question is halted immediately while an investigation takes place. However, from 4 June to 29 August 2008, as a cynical and damaging electoral ploy, Robert Mugabe's regime instituted a ban on the operations of NGOs across the country. During this period, large amounts of international food-aid (including UK contributions) were obstructed; none of this aid was diverted, it was simply not distributed. Other non-food aidincluding essential medicines and support to people with HIV and AIDSwas distributed where delivery to intended recipients could be assured.
	Since the lifting of the ban, the international community has scaled up its response rapidly to provide vital food assistance to over five million Zimbabweans. Despite this massive operation, rigorous monitoring has been maintained, with few reports of obstruction or diversion of aid, and we are confident that UK contributions are being delivered to intended recipients.

HEALTH

Air Pollution

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual number of premature deaths caused by air pollution in England; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: There are many uncertainties involved in estimating deaths brought forward as a result of air pollution. Current estimates are being updated, but in 1998, the Department's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) estimated that 24,000 deaths were brought forward each year due to air pollution in the United Kingdom.
	The UK Air Quality Strategy aims to protect against risks to public health from air pollution. Healthy individuals are not thought to be at significant risk of short-term effects from current levels of air pollution in the UK, but associations have been indicated between daily variations in levels of some pollutants and daily variations in mortality and hospital admissions for respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.
	An economic analysis to inform the Air Quality Strategy was published in July 2007. It presents detailed assessments of the additional policy measures considered by the Air Quality Strategy (AQS).
	www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/publications/stratreview-analysis/index.htm
	To inform the UK Air Quality Strategy (2007), COMEAP estimated that the average loss of life expectancy would be around seven to eight months in 2005. With the implementation of measures outlined in the Strategy, this is predicted to drop to around 5.5 months in 2020. As with any average, the loss of life expectancy will be greater than this for some people and less than this for others.

Air Pollution

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned or assessed on the levels of  (a) PM10,  (b) PM2.5,  (c) ozone,  (d) nitrogen dioxide and  (e) nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has commissioned a number of research projects to assess the links between public health and the air pollutants.
	Projects recently commissioned in 2008 are:
	
		
			  Title  Institution 
			 Health implications of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor environments University of Birmingham 
			   
			 Short- and long-term effects of air pollution on cardiovascular disease events London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 
			   
			 Lifecourse Effects of Air Pollution on cardiorespiratory morbidity in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development Imperial College, London 
			   
			 Oxidative potential of particulate matter and risk of cardiovascular disease: a hybrid toxico-epidemiological study King's College, London 
			   
			 An investigation of the effects of long term exposure to air pollution on cardiorespiratory morbidity in a large population cohort St. George's, University of London 
			   
			 A study of the concentration-response relationship for the effects of ozone on health St. George's, University of London 
			 Quantification of health impacts of airborne particulates: comparing estimates based on personal exposure and outdoor concentrations University of York 
		
	
	The published reports of previous projects are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthprotection/AirPollution/index.htm.
	The effects of particles, S02 and ozone have all been quantified and valued as part of the UK Air Quality Strategy review in 2007, using recommendations by the Department's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP).
	The health effects considered include both short-term effects (daily deaths, respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions) and long-term effects. There is, however, still considerable uncertainty surrounding the precise scale and mechanisms linking air quality and health, especially for the long-term effects on life expectancy.

Brain Tumours: Research

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding the National Cancer Research Institute provided for  (a) brain tumour and  (b) leukaemia related research in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07;
	(2)  what initiatives the National Cancer Research Initiative is managing in relation to care and treatment of those with brain tumours.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) is a membership organisation that brings together the major funders of cancer research in government, the voluntary sector and industry along with cancer patient representatives to ensure a national strategic approach to cancer research. The NCRI does not itself fund or manage research.
	The NCRI publishes an analysis of the national cancer research portfolio that includes details of expenditure by its partner organisations on research into individual tumour sites. The analysis is available on-line at:
	www.ncri.org.uk/includes/Publications/reports/analysisReport08.pdf.
	A more detailed account of annual aggregated portfolio expenditure is given in an associated data package available at:
	www.ncri.org.uk/includes/Publications/reports/Data_package.xls.

Breast Cancer

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diagnosed cases of malignant neoplasm of the breast there were in  (a) Essex and  (b) England in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2009:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many diagnosed cases of malignant neoplasm of the breast there were in (a) Essex and (b) England in each of the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (250034)
	The most recent available figures for newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer are for the year 2006. Figures for the years 2002 to 2006 are in the table below.
	
		
			  Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer( 1) , Essex and England, 2002 - 06 
			  Geographical area   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Essex Male 5 6 10 6 12 
			  Female 936 990 951 1,115 1,035 
			
			 England Male 258 291 267 235 275 
			  Female 35,294 37,486 37,669 38,464 38,004 
			 (1)Breast cancer is coded to C50 in the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10)  Source: Office for National Statistics

Cancer: Children

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding the National Cancer Research Network has provided for paediatric oncology in each of the last five years; and what proportion of this support has been spent on projects relating to  (a) brain tumours and  (b) leukaemia treatment and care.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Cancer Research Network (NCRN) forms part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) clinical research network. It supports high quality research studies funded by the NIHR and its research partners through the provision of the necessary health service infrastructure.
	The NCRN's specialised research network on paediatric oncology, led by the UK Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group, receives dedicated funding from the NCRI. The amounts allocated over the last four years have been:
	
		
			   000 
			 2005-06 115 
			 2006-07 117 
			 2007-08 119 
			 2008-09 122 
		
	
	The Department also currently allocates 50,000 a year to each of four NHS trusts specifically to provide infrastructure support for early phase studies devoted to children with cancer.
	Information on the attribution of these funds to research relating to individual tumour sites is not held centrally.

Clinical Physiologists: Regulation

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to implement his proposals for the statutory regulation of clinical physiologists.

Ann Keen: Proposals for the statutory regulation of clinical physiologists will be resolved as part of a separate consultation, as outlined in 'The Future of the Healthcare Science Workforce Modernising Scientific Careers: The Next Steps: A Consultation' published in November 2008. A copy of the consultation has already been placed in the Library.
	Consultation plans will be announced in due course.

Colonoscopy

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many colonoscopists are employed by each primary care trust.

Ann Keen: The information is not collected centrally.

Departmental Allowances

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 444W, how much the second homes allowance for David Nicholson and Bill Kirkup were; where the second homes are; and for what reasons they are eligible for the allowance.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows:
	David Nicholson received 37,600 second home allowance.
	Bill Kirkup received 25,800 second home allowance.
	Both second homes are in London.
	Departmental policy allows for individuals to claim Second Home Allowance if they are expected to work away from their permanent workplace for long periods and if the temporary workplace is not within daily travelling distance from their home.
	The Department approves such claims where the case meets business needs and demonstrates cost effectiveness.
	This allowance is not permanent and is subject to review.

Departmental Catering

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) food and  (b) drinks suppliers have been used by his Department in each of the last three years; and how much his Department paid to each such supplier in each of those years.

Ben Bradshaw: Provision of food and drink for the Department's catering needs in London is provided under contract by Quadrant Catering Limited. The Department's catering needs in Leeds is provided by Eurest Services.
	The Department has paid Quadrant Catering Limited and Eurest Services the following sums on food and drink in the last three years:
	
		
			
			 2005-06 1,076,479 
			 2006-07 952,046 
			 2007-08 887,844 
		
	
	The information requested to identify the amount paid to each supplier is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) directly-operated and  (b) franchised catering outlets his Department and its agencies provides for staff.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department and its agencies do not have any  (a) directly-operated or,  (b) franchised catering outlets.
	The Department has a contract with Quadrant Catering Limited to supply restaurant and hospitality services to four buildings in London, (Richmond house, Skipton house, Wellington house and New King's Beam house.) Eurest provide catering services to the Department's offices in Quarry house (Leeds) under arrangements through the Department of Work and Pensions.
	The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority at Market Towers ((MHRA)London) has a contract with Bartlett Mitchell to supply a restaurant service which is subsidised by MHRA. The amount is 72,000 per year. This figure is not directly attributed to food and drink and includes the running costs of the restaurant.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 193W, on departmental personnel, how many staff without posts there are in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies; how many of the staff without posts were classified as such upon return from maternity leave; and how many of the staff without posts have been classified as such for at least (i) six and (ii) 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The table presents an analysis of staff without posts in the core Department classified by period of time in that situation and by grade. No one has been displaced for a period of over 12 months
	NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency both report that they do not currently have any staff member without a post.
	No staff without posts are in this position as a result of return from maternity leave.
	Reasons for individuals being without posts include return from secondment or loan outside the Department and staff without posts due to internal restructuring exercises.
	
		
			   Time displaced  
			  Grade  0 to 3 m onths  3 to 6 m onths  More than 6 months  Total 
			 Senior Civil Service 3 0 1 4 
			 Grade 6 0 0 2 2 
			 Grade 7 1 0 0 1 
			 Senior Executive Officer 1 1 0 2 
			 Higher Executive Officer 0 0 0 0 
			 Executive Officer 2 1 1 4 
			 Administrative Officer 7 1 0 8 
			 Total 14 3 4 21

Departmental Public Relations

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Devizes of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1218W, on departmental public relations, if he will list each of the external public firms on which the 5.3 million of expenditure was incurred in 2007-08; and for what reasons in-house communications staff could not provide the requisite services.

Ben Bradshaw: The public relations (PR) agencies employed by the Department during 2007-08 were:
	Euro RSCG;
	Fishburn Hedges Boys Williams;
	The Forster Company;
	Geronimo;
	Grayling;
	Munro and Forster;
	The Red Consultancy; and
	Trimedia Harrison Cowley.
	PR companies are employed to support a range of marketing and policy initiatives including major public health behaviour change programmes such as tobacco control, sexual health, flu immunisation, hand and respiratory hygiene and drug and alcohol harm reduction campaigns. In addition to providing specialist knowledge of a wide range of media through which the Department needs to communicate with specific target audiences, they also provide extensive creative input to communications programmes. PR companies are a highly flexible and cost-effective resource as they can be commissioned for the duration of each individual project thus reducing the need for increasing internal headcount.
	The total expenditure on external PR during 2007-08 (5.3 million) includes VAT and both fees and costs. Typically costs may include producing materials and newsletters, creation of content for online media, advertorials, photography, research, creation of toolkits for stakeholders and costs incurred for regional activity such as stakeholder or media roadshows.

Departmental Surveys

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department's central media and communication unit spent on public surveys in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: We are committed to consulting and involving the public to ensure that our campaigning activity and all associated publicity materials are shaped around understanding of their needs and attitudes. Our investment in communications research and insight is central in designing and evaluating our communications campaigns.
	The Department's Communications Directorate spent the following in each financial year on quantitative surveys among the public in each of the last three years.
	
		
			   Spend () 
			 2005-06 810,440 
			 2006-07 1,122,112 
			 2007-08 1,656,939 
		
	
	These figures include evaluation of public health campaigns; evaluation of major NHS communications initiatives; evaluation of NHS careers campaign and regular tracking of public attitudes towards the NHS.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department on  (a) agency and  (b) temporary staff in each financial year since 2005-06.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department allows managers to access temporary staff, when necessary, through appropriate employment agencies at their own discretion, where the appropriate funding is authorised. The Department does not collect information on agency and temporary staff spend in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Practitioners: Pharmacy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dispensing GP practices are registered in  (a) Stroud constituency,  (b) Gloucestershire and  (c) England; and what percentage of the total number of practices this represents in each case.

Phil Hope: The number of dispensing general practitioner (GP) practices and total practices is not available by parliamentary constituency but can be provided by primary care trust (PCT).
	The following table provides the total number of GP practices and the number of dispensing GP practices in England, Gloucestershire PCT and South Gloucestershire PCT as at 14 January 2009. The figures in brackets represent the percentage of the total number of practices in each category.
	
		
			   Gloucestershire PCT  South Gloucestershire PCT  England 
			 All GP Practices 86 (1%) 29 (0.3%) 8,611 
			 Dispensing GP Practices 29 2.6%) 4 (0.35%) 1,129 
			  Source:  NHS Business Services Authority Organisational database

General Practitioners: Pharmacy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of inappropriate dispensing of hospital prescriptions in community pharmacies were reported by each primary care trust in the latest year for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: This information is not held centrally.

Health Services: Merseyside

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by 
	(1)  what means his Department provides access to  (a) detoxification services and  (b) primary health care for homeless people in Merseyside.
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the availability of detoxification services for homeless people in Merseyside.

Dawn Primarolo: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCT) to plan, develop and improve local health services according to the health needs of their local populations.
	The provision of detoxification services in Merseyside is therefore the responsibility of the local PCTs, working in partnership with relevant agencies and stakeholders.
	Details of these services can be obtained from the PCTs and Drug and Alcohol Action Teams direct.

Hospitals: Construction

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average capital cost is of major hospital capital building projects initiated under  (a) the private finance initiative and  (b) other funding arrangements in the last three financial years.

Ben Bradshaw: Under the private finance initiative over the last three financial years there have been 20 major hospital schemes (25 million or over) which have reached financial close and started construction. Capital costs have ranged from 30 million to 1,000 million, with the average being 222 million.
	Eight public capital funded major hospital schemes have awarded tenders and started construction over the last three years. Capital costs have ranged from 25 million to 75 million with the average capital cost being 47 million.

Hospitals: Food

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts have  (a) declared and  (b) been unable to declare that dieticians had confirmed that hospital menus would deliver nutritional requirements sufficient to meet the needs of all patients in the last six months.

Dawn Primarolo: Information about which NHS trusts have/have not declared that dieticians have confirmed that hospital menus would deliver nutritional requirements sufficient to meet the needs of all patients is not collected centrally.

Knee/Hip Replacements

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for a 
	(1)  knee operation in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency was in the latest period for which information is available;
	(2)  hip operation in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland was in the latest period for which information is available.

Ben Bradshaw: The median time waited for a hip and a knee replacement in England, the north east, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in the latest period for which information is available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Median time waited for hip and knee replacements( 1)  of residents in England, North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA),  Middlesb r ough  Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Redcar and Cleveland PCT in 2006-07 
			  Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Median waiting time (days) 
			   Hip  Knee 
			 England 147 156 
			 North East SHA 145 150 
			 Middlesbrough PCT(2) 171 169 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT(2) 167 168 
			 (1 )The term knee/hip 'operation' has been classed as too broad by Information Centre for health and social care clinical coders. As a result we have provided waiting times for hip/knee replacements as this is a term requested frequently in other parliamentary questions. (2 )Information Centre for health and social care are unable to break the data down by Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland, but have data for Middlesbrough PCT and Redcar and Cleveland PCT.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics, The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Maternity Services: Disadvantaged

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2008,  Official Report, column 875W, on breastfeeding, what steps are being taken to promote the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative to maternity units in areas of high social deprivation.

Dawn Primarolo: We are investing 4 million in 2008-09 for primary care trusts to develop local interventions to promote breastfeeding. These include implementing the principles of the Baby Friendly Initiative in both hospitals and community settings. As part of this initiative, training will be provided to all frontline staff. The overall aim is to increase breastfeeding rates, maximise the coverage of numbers of non-breastfeeding mothers in England and address inequalities.

Medical Treatments: EC Countries

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many European Health Insurance Cards  (a) his Department and  (b) other issuers within the UK have issued to non-UK nationals in each of the last 11 years, broken down by member state.

Dawn Primarolo: The United Kingdom has issued around 30 million UK European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) to date. A breakdown by year can be found in the following table. The EHIC was only introduced across the European Economic Area in September 2005, therefore data for 11 years are not available. There is only one issuer of the EHIC within the UK, which is the NHS Business Services Authority. The nationality of the applicant is not recorded during the EHIC application process as this is irrelevant; entitlement to free national health service treatment and also to an EHIC, is based on being ordinarily resident in the UK rather than on British nationality or the previous payment of taxes to the UK.
	
		
			   EHIC cards issued 
			 September 2005-March 2006 5,592,334 
			 April 2006-March 2007 7,189,876 
			 April 2007-March 2008 4,160,935 
			 April 2008-December 2008 2,961,485 
			  Note: As part of the transition to the EHIC from the E111, E111 applicants could automatically apply for an EHIC by indicating so on the application. 11,477,178 EHICs have been issued in this way.

Mobile Phones: Health Hazards

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the report of Interphone.

Dawn Primarolo: Interphone is a multinational collaborative population study set up to help determine whether the radio frequency radiation emitted by mobile phones contributes to a cancer risk. It is not in the gift of the Department to publish the results. The study team, based at the International Centre for Research on Cancer in France issued an update on its website in October 2008. This can be found at:
	www.iarc.fr/en/ResearchGroups/ClustersGroups/BiostatisticsandEpidemiologyCluster/Radiation-Group/INTERPHONE-Results-latest-update-8-October-2008
	Although the whole study has not been published in full, many of the collaborating research centres have already published their own individual results in scientific journals. The United Kingdom based Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme has supported two of the interphone centres and details of these studies with a list of publications can be found on the MTHR website at:
	www.mthr.org.uk/research_projects/research.htm
	The 2007 MTHR report on the full range of studies supported under the MTHR programme can also be found at this website.

NHS: Debts

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS hospital and community health services which will be in deficit at the end of the financial years  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and what projections he has made of future likely deficits.

Ben Bradshaw: As discussed in the quarter 2 edition of the departmental publication,  The Quarter, there are 11 national health service organisations forecasting that they will end the 2008-09 financial year with an operating deficit.
	In addition to these eleven organisations, there are six organisations forecasting a technical deficit for the 2008-09 financial year. Five of these organisations have a technical deficit relating to the impairment of assets, which does not form part of their operating position (one of these organisations is also in the list of 11 organisations with an operating deficit). The remaining technical deficit is a phasing issue for a part year foundation trust, relating to the period that it was an NHS trust.
	All NHS organisations are currently working to finalise their financial plans for 2009-10. We would expect these financial plans to be in line with the local direction and priorities agreed with their strategic health authorities, and the priorities set out in the Operating Framework for 2009-10.
	A copy of the quarter 2 edition of  The Quarter has been placed in the Library and can be found at the following website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_091230

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to issue guidance on the availability on the NHS of  (a) Sutent,  (b) Nexavar,  (c) Avastin and  (d) Torisel;
	(2)  if he will issue guidance to primary care trusts to the effect that they should make  (a) Sutent,  (b) Nexavar,  (c) Avastin and  (d) Torisel available on the NHS where clinicians advise they should be used.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising sunitinib (Sutent), sorafenib (Nexavar), temsirolimus (Torisel) and bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. We understand that NICE anticipates publishing its final guidance later this year.
	NICE is an independent body responsible for the development of robust, evidence-based guidance for the national health service on the clinical and cost effectiveness of new and existing technologies. The Department has no plans to publish separate guidance to the NHS on these treatments in advance of NICE publishing its final guidance.
	The NHS Constitution, which was published on 21 January 2009, includes a right for patients to access drugs and treatments that have been recommended by NICE for use in the NHS and also a further right for patients to expect local decisions on the funding of other drugs and treatments to be made rationally following a proper consideration of the evidence.

NHS: Public Participation

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local involvement networks are not yet operational; and on what date each is expected to become operational.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. The statutory duty to ensure that local involvement network activities are carried on rests with local authorities (with social services responsibilities).

NHS: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the full set of quality measures for acute patient care as referred to on page 50 of High Quality Care for All, Cm 7432.

Ben Bradshaw: The assured menu of quality indicators for 2009-10 is being developed in line with the principles of co-production, clinical leadership, subsidiarity and system alignment, set out by David Nicholson in his letter of 5 August 2008.
	Specifically, the assured menu of quality indicators for 2009-10 is being developed following a web-based survey run by the Information Centre for health and social care and on the basis of strategic health authority progress reports, requested in a letter to all NHS chief executives, medical directors and nursing directors sent by David Nicholson, Sir Bruce Keogh and Dame Christine Beasley on 18 November 2008. Draft of the assured menu will be shared with NHS colleagues before being presented to the National Quality Board at its first meeting in March 2009 and published following this.

Oxygen: Medical Equipment

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England were dependent on a domiciliary oxygen system in their homes in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Accurate data on the number of patients using home oxygen are only available from 1 November 2006 onwards.
	The following table shows the number of users of the integrated home oxygen service.
	
		
			  Period  Estimated number of  p atients 
			 1 November 2006 to 31 March 2007 79,000 
			 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 82,000 
			 1 April 2008 to 31 December 2008 83,000

Oxygen: Medical Equipment

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by  (a) his Department and  (b) each health trust on each type of prescribed domiciliary oxygen therapy in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The budget for the Home Oxygen Service is held within the national health service. Accurate expenditure data on home oxygen are available from 1 November 2006 onwards.
	Providing information in the requested format would breach commercial confidentiality.
	The following table summarises spending on home oxygen by region:
	
		
			   
			  Region name  1 November 2006 to 31 March 2007( *)  1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008  1 April 2008 to 31 December 2008( 1) 
			 North West 4,428,660 11,575,379 10,183,134 
			 West Midlands 3,587,287 9,487,444 8,609,073 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 3,063,742 7,719,610 6,974,471 
			 London North 2,184,778 5,548,612 4,922,569 
			 East Midlands 2,495,034 6,307,825 5,824,480 
			 South West 4,044,487 17,165,947 13,145,760 
			 Eastern England 4,772,468 13,989,942 12,061,541 
			 South East London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex 3,205,077 9,168,251 7,782,469 
			 South West London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and Isle of Wight 2,626,450 7,615,627 6,198,207 
			 North East 3,358,987 9,507,091 8,077,418 
			 Total 33,766,971 98,085,727 83,779,123 
			 (1)( )Not full year.  Note: Includes VAT

Patient Choice Schemes

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of first outpatient appointments made through Choose and Book in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by (i) direct and (ii) indirect method used.

Ben Bradshaw: In November 2008 which is the latest month for which data are available 399,000 referrals to first outpatient appointments were made through Choose and Book, 50 per cent., of all general practitioner referrals to first outpatient appointment. Of these, 305,000 (76 per cent.) used the direct method and 94,000 used the indirect method of booking.

PatientPak

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what meetings  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with representatives of PatientPak Limited to discuss the use of its products by patients in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what research his Department has  (a) evaluated,  (b) commissioned and  (c) undertaken on the merits of patient-provided products to prevent viral and bacterial infections in hospitals.

Ann Keen: The Department has not had any meetings with representatives of PatientPak Ltd. within the last 12 months. However, the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency run product surgeries to offer advice to manufacturers of health care products.
	The Department has not undertaken any work on the efficacy of patient-provided products in preventing viral and bacterial infections in hospitals and is not aware of any evidence that these products offer advantages over materials supplied to patients by the national health service.
	Our strategy 'Clean Safe Care' draws together the measures required to control infections. Generally, normal soap and toiletries are adequate for patients' personal hygiene during their hospital stay, and hospitals will provide special soap and shampoo to prevent viral and bacterial infections as necessary.

Pharmacy: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what dispensing pharmacies there are in Hampshire; and what volume of products each dispensed in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Pigmeat: Labelling

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to change the labelling scheme for pork products.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 27 January 2009
	The Government have no plans to change the labelling scheme for pork products.
	However, the framework EC legislation governing general food labelling is currently being revised in Brussels. This includes a consideration of the tightening of criteria around voluntary country of origin declarations, including on pork products. The Government support this move and are actively involved in these negotiations.
	In the meantime and in order to help industry comply with the rules and avoid misleading consumers, the Food Standards Agency has had in place since 2002 best practice guidance, which advises for example, that bacon products from imported pork should be clearly labelled as such. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers are also holding a series of meetings with industry to promote uptake of the guidance.

Tomography

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) magnetic resonance imaging and  (b) dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scanners there were in the NHS in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not routinely collect this data centrally. However, from information supplied by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) the installed base of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in the English national health service plus additional scanners supplied each year from 1997 to 2008 are shown in the following table. The installed base for MRI scanners for 1998 and 1999 were not collected.
	The total number of installed MRI scanners for each year can only be considered to be approximate, it is not possible to provide data regarding exact numbers for each year since 1997 due to local variations in timescales for centrally funded scanners from award then delivery and installation, as well as different time periods for the removal from clinical service of the scanners being replaced.
	Data for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners are not collected.
	
		
			  MRI scanners installed base  Additional  Total (approximate) 
			 1997  110 
			 2000 1 183 
			 2001 19 202 
			 2002 12 214 
			 2003 18 232 
			 2004 31 263 
			 2005 26 289 
			 2006 10 299 
			 2007 0 299 
			 2008 0 299 
			  Note:  The databases of installed equipment held by the HPA contain data supplied periodically by manufacturers and as such can only be considered to be a snapshot in time rather than an absolute position.  Source:  HPA

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Business Community Safety Forum

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the chair of the Business Community Safety Forum has received in allowances in respect of his chairmanship in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: Since his appointment on 24 October 2008, the chair of the Business and Community Safety Forum has received a day rate of 500 on three occasions and been reimbursed for his associated travel and subsistence expenses.

Chief Fire Officers' Association

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies are represented on the board of the Chief Fire Officers' Association.

Sadiq Khan: This Department and its agencies are not represented on the Board of the Chief Fire Officers' Association.

Community Infrastructure Levy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate her Department has made of the receipts  (a) each of her Department's executive agencies and  (b) each regional development agency will receive from community infrastructure levy;
	(2)  who the charging authorities for the community infrastructure levy will be;
	(3)  what plans she has to produce an updated impact assessment for community infrastructure levy;
	(4)  what proposals her Department has for the  (a) level and  (b) rates of community infrastructure levy.

Iain Wright: Section 206 of the Planning Act 2008 sets out which bodies will be charging authorities for the Community Infrastructure Levy. As part of the consultation on draft CIL regulations, the Government will consult on the use of the section 206(4). Executive agencies and regional development agencies cannot be charging authorities. However such bodies could receive CIL revenue from CIL charging authorities in order to provide infrastructure identified as necessary, through the development plan process, to support development. No estimate has been made of the level of CIL revenue that these specific bodies would receive as this will depend on the infrastructure planning and local decisions about funding priorities made by each CIL charging authority.
	The Planning Act together with the CIL regulations will set the framework governing how charging authorities will determine the rate of CIL in their area. The level of CIL will be set locally by each charging authority should they decide to establish a CIL.
	Section 211(2) of the Act requires charging authorities to have regard to actual and expected costs of infrastructure; the economic viability of development and other actual and expected sources of funding for infrastructure in setting the rate of CIL.
	An updated impact assessment will be produced alongside the CIL regulations which will not come into force before October 2009.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress the Equality and Human Rights Commission has made in convening forums with employers' networks, the CBI and the TUC to formulate action plans on cohesion.

Sadiq Khan: I understand that the Commission will be developing further links with the private sector and the trade unions as part of its broader stakeholder engagement work in support of its Strategic Plan in 2009. This will include work on promoting good relations and community cohesion.

Community Relations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has her Department has provided on whether reports produced by local authorities under their new tension monitoring duties will qualify for an exemption from the provisions of  (a) the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and  (b) the Data Protection Act 1998.

Sadiq Khan: Guidance for Local Authorities on Community Cohesion Contingency Planning and Tension Monitoring published on 6 May 2008, sets a framework which local authorities can use to monitor local issues that may lead to local community tensions, and does not provide advice on whether reports produced by local authorities are exempt from FOI Act or the Data Protection Act. Tension monitoring for local authorities is not mandatory, and all contributors to the tension monitoring process are required to adhere to the principles of data collection set out in the Data Protection Act 1998. Each organisation that makes a contribution to tension monitoring should have local information sharing protocols in place.

Community Relations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on tension monitoring and the activities of political parties.

Sadiq Khan: Guidance for Local Authorities on Community Cohesion Contingency Planning and Tension Monitoring published on 6 May 2008, sets a framework which local authorities can use to monitor local issues that may lead to local community tensions and to put plans into operation if a problem is identified. It is up to each local authority to determine the scope of their tension monitoring and contingency planning.

Community Relations

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ministers in her Department plan to organise seminars on issues identified in the National Community Forum's report on Sources of resentment and perceptions of ethnic minorities among poor white people in England.

Sadiq Khan: I plan to hold a seminar to discuss the report's findings later this year.

Community Relations

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what expenditure her Department incurred on the  (a) research for and  (b) production of the National Community Forum report, Sources of resentment and perceptions of ethnic minorities among poor white people in England.

Sadiq Khan: The National Community Forum is funded by Communities and Local Government and has advised that the cost of this research was 10,500.

Community Relations

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 46W, on local authorities: community relations, what guidance her Department has published on tension monitoring in relation to the provisions of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Sadiq Khan: 'Guidance for Local Authorities on Community Cohesion Contingency Planning and Tension Monitoring', published on 6 May 2008, sets a framework which local authorities can use to monitor local issues that may lead to local community tensions. We are not aware of any local authorities using the powers available under Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) to conduct their tension monitoring. This Act is therefore not covered in our guidance.

Community Relations

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 46W, on local authorities: community relations, what further guidance her Department has provided to local authorities on tension monitoring.

Sadiq Khan: The Department does not plan to issue further guidance.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each of the last three years.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government (CLG) will not be able to provide the information requested regarding correspondence from a hon. Member without bearing disproportionate cost.
	CLG are able to inform that the Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	As for correspondence from members of the public, this information could not be provided within disproportionate costs limits but CLG aim to respond to all written correspondence within 15 working days.

Departmental Expenditure Limit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 52-7WS, on the departmental expenditure limit (2008-09), how much the litigation costs in relation to the transfer of 4.3 million to Firebuy were; and what the litigation concerned.

Sadiq Khan: The transfer of 4.3 million to the Firebuy line in the Department's Winter Supplementary Estimates included provision of 2.4 million for defending litigation brought against Firebuy over the procurement of the Integrated Clothing Project.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2008,  Official Report, column 786W, on departmental ICT, what her most recent estimate of the  (a) cost and  (b) completion date of each of the projects listed is; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 5 November 2008,  Official Report, column 545-46W.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which ICT projects her Department and its predecessors initiated and abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred in each project; who the contractors for each were; on what date each was  (a) commenced and  (b) abandoned; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) by the right hon. Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1420W. The Department has nothing further to report by way of abandoned ICT projects since.

Departmental Public Relations

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons her Department engaged  (a) Band and Brown,  (b) Connect PR and  (c) Blue Rubicon PR in 2008 to undertake public relations work; and for what reasons such work was not undertaken by her Department.

Sadiq Khan: I can confirm that Band and Brown were engaged to provide PR support for publicity on home information packs, Connect PR were engaged to provide PR support for publicity on regeneration and sustainable communities policy, including the sustainable communities conference, and Blue Rubicon PR were engaged to provide PR support for publicity on the introduction of the energy performance in buildings directive.
	The above agencies were engaged to support and extend the work conducted by the Department's Press Office.

Departmental Public Relations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department's executive agencies spent on services procured from each of the external public relations and marketing companies included in the Central Office of Information's Public Relations Framework in the last 36 months.

Sadiq Khan: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Relations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which  (a) public affairs (i) companies and (ii) consultants and  (b) external public relations firms have been commissioned by each of her Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies in the last 24 months; and at what cost.

Sadiq Khan: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Temporary Staff

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by her Department on  (a) agency and  (b) temporary staff in each financial year since 2005-06.

Sadiq Khan: The Department has spent the following amounts on agency staff in each of the last four years.
	
		
			   Amount spent () 
			 2005-06 8,780,495 
			 2006-07 7,952,576 
			 2007-08 16,267,091 
			 2008 ( to December) 12,734,932

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in her Department attended at least one such training course.

Sadiq Khan: The Department has not commissioned any digital media training courses through the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008.

Deprivation Indicators

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the geographical barriers score of each local authority in the Indices of Deprivation for  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2007 was, ranked from highest to lowest in each year.

Sadiq Khan: Geographical barriers is a sub-domain of the Indices of Deprivation which is published at Lower Super Output Area level (geographical units with an average of 1,500 population).
	The Government do not produce a score for this at local authority level.
	I have placed a table of the LSOA score and rank for this sub domain for 2004 and 2007 in the Library. The table also shows which local authority each LSOA is within, and shows all of England's 32,482 LSOAs.
	LSOAs with the highest score, face the greatest geographical barriers (The LSOA with a rank of one is the most deprived on this sub domain, and 32,482 the least deprived).
	The geographical barriers sub-domain is calculated from data on road distance to: GP premises; supermarket or convenience store; primary school; and post office.

Derelict Land

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of levels of brownfield development in  (a) England,  (b) the South East,  (c) Hampshire and  (d) Romsey constituency.

Iain Wright: Information on development on previously developed or brownfield land is taken from the Land Use Change Statistics.
	In the period 2003-06,
	 (a) 58 per cent. of the land changing to a developed use in England was previously developed.
	 (b) 62 per cent. of the land changing to a developed use in the South-East was previously developed.
	 (c) 68 per cent. of the land changing to a developed use in Hampshire was previously developed.
	 (d) 79 per cent. of the land changing to a developed use in the constituency of Romsey was previously developed.
	Brownfield development has been interpreted as all development on previously developed land, not just residential development. Information on residential development can be found on the CLG website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningbuilding/planningstatistics/livetables/landusechange/

Domestic Waste

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department  issues (a) guidance and  (b) instructions to local authorities on the monitoring of household waste for items relevant to community cohesion monitoring exercises.

Sadiq Khan: 'Guidance for Local Authorities on Community Cohesion Contingency Planning and Tension Monitoring', published on 6 May 2008, sets a framework which local authorities can use to monitor local issues that may lead to local community tensions and to put plans into operation if a problem is identified. This guidance does not make specific mention of the monitoring of household waste. It is up to each local authority to determine the scope of their tension monitoring and contingency planning. All contributors to the tension monitoring process are required to adhere to the principles of data collection set out in the Data Protection Act 1998. Each organisation that makes a contribution to tension monitoring should have local information sharing protocols in place.

Fire Services

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 125W, on fire services, whether  (a) her Department and  (b) Firebuy holds a copy of the minutes of meetings of the FireGuard Project Board.

Sadiq Khan: Firebuy, the national procurement body for the English Fire and Rescue Service, undertook the procurement process for the Fireguard project at the request of 33 fire and rescue authorities, led by the Chief Fire Officers Association. As a consequence, Firebuy was represented on the board, and received minutes of its meetings produced and distributed by the Chief Fire Officers Association.

Fire Services

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 340W, on fire services, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the level of fire and rescue authority participation in the project; and what arrangements for emergency fire cover there are in the event of a  (a) local and  (b) national fire service strike.

Sadiq Khan: The Department has not made any assessment of the reasons for the level of fire and rescue authority participation in the Fireguard project. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 lays down duties for specified 'Category 1 responders', including fire and rescue authorities, to assess, plan and advise in relation to emergencies. For a fire and rescue authority, an emergency includes a period of industrial action.

Fire Services

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 487W, on fire services, if she will place in the Library a copy of the full research report.

Sadiq Khan: The full research report cannot be disclosed as it is internal advice for the purposes of assisting the development of policy. A summary of the research has already been placed in the Library.

Fire Services: Industrial Disputes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent guidance her Department has given to fire and rescue authorities on whether private contractors  (a) can and  (b) should cross picket lines in the event of a strike in order to utilise fire equipment and appliances owned by fire and rescue authorities.

Sadiq Khan: The Department has not issued advice to fire and rescue authorities on these matters.

Fire Services: Military Aid

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the armed forces will provide emergency fire cover in the event of  (a) a local and  (b) a national fire strike, with reference to the FireGuard project.

Sadiq Khan: The 2003 White Paper Our Fire and Rescue Service, made it clear that no party should proceed on the basis that the armed forces will be available to provide emergency cover in the event of industrial action.

Fire Services: Vaccination

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements are in place to provide antiviral medicines to firefighters in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Sadiq Khan: There are no specific arrangements for distributing antiviral drugs to fire fighters during an influenza pandemic. The Secretary of State for Health announced that the Government would be increasing the antiviral stockpile to meet the needs of 50 per cent. of the population, so that there would be an antiviral course available for every person infected during a pandemic, even in the UK's reasonable worst-case scenario.

FiReBuy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Gateway Review of the Firebuy integrated clothing project was completed; and what the outcomes of that review were.

Sadiq Khan: The Stage 3 Gateway Review on the Firebuy integrated clothing project was completed on 1 August 2007. It is not general practice to make available the outcome of Gateway Reviews.

FiReBuy: Pay

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what remuneration each board member of Firebuy receives.

Sadiq Khan: The chair of Firebuy Ltd. Receives 22,000 per annum for 11 days per month. Each of the other six board members receives 4,000 per annum for two days per month.

FireGuard

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies were represented on the board of FireGuard.

Sadiq Khan: Firebuy, the national procurement body for the English Fire and Rescue Service, undertook the procurement process for the Fireguard project at the request of 33 fire and rescue authorities, led by the Chief Fire Officers Association. As a consequence, it was represented on the Fireguard Board. The Department itself was not represented.

Green Belt: Windsor and Maidenhead

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) representations and  (b) instructions the Government Office for the South East has given to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead on the review of its Green Belt as part of its Local Development Framework.

Iain Wright: The Government Office for the South East (GOSE) made representations on the Preferred Options (9 March 2006) and Submission (15 December 2006) versions of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead's Core Strategy.
	At the Preferred Options (9 March 2006) stage it commented:
	It is assumed that as part of the evidence base the Council will be able to demonstrate that it will be possible to accommodate all likely required development within the Borough over at least the plan period and hence there is no need to review the location and extent of the Green Belt at this time.
	GOSE also sought clarification as to whether proposed policies CS19 and CS27 were intended to diverge from national policy in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 Green Belts, and if so what the reasoning for this was.
	GOSE's representations on the Submission Core Strategy (15 December 2006), included the following:
	We are ... concerned that the policy and text regarding any potential Green Belt review is somewhat vague. It would be helpful if the Core Strategy could be more-precise as to the circumstances that may trigger the need for a review. In this context we make no assumptions that a review of Green Belt will axiomatically result in the amendment of any particular boundary.
	GOSE has not given the Council any instructions on the review of its Green Belt as part of its Local Development Framework.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 952W, into home information packs, if she will undertake research on the typical maximum period within which a local authority search in a home information pack will be accepted as valid by a mortgage lender.

Iain Wright: On 8 December my right hon. Friend the Housing Minister (Margaret Beckett), announced that she had asked Ted Beardsall (ex-deputy director of the Land Registry) to convene a working group to consider local property searches. This group will consist of industry and consumer representatives and will consider consumers needs, utility and presentation of existing property searches information within home information packs. A representative from the Council of Mortgage Lenders has agreed to join this group.

Homebuy Scheme

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to extend the opportunities for social tenants to purchase and part-purchase their homes; and whether Social Homebuy remains a pilot scheme.

Iain Wright: As announced by the Government in December 2007, Social HomeBuy is continuing as a voluntary scheme to increase opportunities for social housing tenants to access home ownership following the ending of the pilot period on 31 March 2008.
	Social tenants are also able to purchase their rented homes through the Right to Buy or Right to Acquire schemes and have priority access to the HomeBuy products.

Homelessness: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homelessness applications were made in  (a) Test Valley borough,  (b) the ceremonial county of Hampshire and  (c) Southampton city in each of the last three years.

Iain Wright: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected by the Department. Authorities provide data on the number of applications for housing assistance (including those by ineligible households), as well as the number of households who are accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty.
	Figures are collected at local authority level. The following table shows the number of applicants who have applied for housing assistance in each local authority within the ceremonial county of Hampshire (which includes Test Valley borough and Southampton city council).
	
		
			  Applications for housing assistance under homelessness legislation in local authorities within Hampshire (including ineligible households)2005-06 to 2007-08 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 166 135 54 
			 East Hampshire 259 193 80 
			 Eastleigh 175 127 123 
			 Fareham 177 82 68 
			 Gosport 359 286 192 
			 Hart  16 12 
			 Havant 816 769 672 
			 New Forest 155 188 179 
			 Portsmouth 954 470 456 
			 Rushmoor 44 51 40 
			 Southampton 705 450 265 
			 Test Valley 135 50 30 
			 Winchester  47 46 
			 ''= Data not reported

Housing: Regeneration

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the most recent demolition output targets are for each housing market renewal pathfinder.

Iain Wright: The following table summarises the main demolition output targets agreed by HMR partnerships in their funding agreements with DCLG for 2008-09.
	
		
			  HMR Partnership  Demolition 2008-09 
			 Birmingham/Sandwell 157 
			 East Lancashire 365 
			 Hull and East Riding 241 
			 Manchester Salford 648 
			 Merseyside 563 
			 Newcastle Gateshead 400 
			 North Staffordshire 500 
			 Oldham Rochdale 174 
			 South Yorkshire 572 
			 Tees Valley 74 
			 West Cumbria 0 
			   
			 Total 3,694

Interreg Programme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which European Union Interreg  (a) IVA,  (b) IVB and  (c) IVC projects have been approved for implementation in the United Kingdom to date.

Sadiq Khan: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Land Use: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will request that Castle Point borough council sends local residents full documentation relevant to the Core Strategy consultation before the consultation process commences; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: It is the Government's general approach not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. Parliament has entrusted authorities with responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas as they are normally best placed to make decisions relating to their areas and it is right that, in general, they should be free to carry out their duties responsibly, with the minimum of interference.
	The Castle Point Core Strategy will be subject to independent examination by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, and a key test of the plan's 'soundness' at the examination will be whether the council has taken sufficient steps to engage the local community and other stakeholders.
	The Secretary of State has received formal notification from Castle Point borough council that consultation on the latest version of the Castle Point Core Strategy, the Core Strategy Proposed Publication Statement, Key diagram and Indicative Site Plans for Castle View, Manor Trading Estate, Stadium Way Employment and West Canvey commenced on 9 January 2009 and will conclude 20 March 2009.
	The documentation is published on the website and available in hard copy form at the borough council's offices.

Land Use: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will request that Castle Point Borough Council publishes details of brownfield sites in Castle Point.

Iain Wright: It is the Government's general approach not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. Parliament has entrusted authorities with responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas as they are normally best placed to make decisions relating to their areas and it is right that, in general, they should be free to carry out their duties responsibly, with the minimum of interference.
	The Core Strategy Consultation documents include details set out in broad locational terms and shown diagrammatically on the key diagram for development on brownfield sites. The Canvey Area Action Plan and the Benfleet, Hadleigh and Thundersley Plan will when published make detailed brownfield site allocations of land for various forms of development.
	The Core Strategy Proposed Publication Document includes a housing trajectory which identifies a five year supply of deliverable housing sites and an 18 year supply of developable sites. The Spatial Strategy seeks to ensure 70 per cent. of new homes are on previously developed land estimated to be provided as in the following table;
	
		
			  Source of capacity  Previously developed land 
			 2008-13 820 
			 2013-18 1,129 
			 2018-26 1,023 
			 Total 2,972 
			 Proportion (percentage) 77.8

Land Use: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will hold discussions with Castle Point borough council on procedures for development of green belt land in Castle Point when brownfield land remains to be developed; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: It is the Government's general approach not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. Parliament has entrusted authorities with responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas as they are normally best placed to make decisions relating to their areas and it is right that, in general, they should be free to carry out their duties responsibly, with the minimum of interference.
	The Core Strategy Proposed Publication Document provides a clear indication of how regeneration and growth will be distributed within the borough. The existing settlement structure will be maintained by concentrating development within existing settlements with limited peripheral development.
	Sustainable growth is proposed that achieves at least 70 per cent. of new homes on previously developed land and safeguards the stated purpose of the metropolitan green belt until 2031. The residual need (approximately 300-500 dwellings to 2026) will be provided for in urban peripheral locations that have limited impact on the openness and function of the greenbelt as set out in Planning Policy Guidance 2. These locations will be identified as site allocations in the Canvey Area Action Plan and the Benfleet, Hadleigh and Thundersley Plan.

Land Use: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will request that the Chief Executive of Castle Point Borough Council publishes the authority's plans to develop land given to the people of Canvey Island around the Cornelius Vermuyden School and Canvey Village.

Iain Wright: It is the Government's general approach not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. Parliament has entrusted authorities with responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas as they are normally best placed to make decisions relating to their areas and it is right that, in general, they should be free to carry out their duties responsibly, with the minimum of interference.
	I understand from Castle Point borough council that no planning application has yet been made to them in respect of this proposal. When an application has been made, the council will be required to publicise it in order that the public and other interested parties may make known their views. Before reaching their decision, the council must take into account: the provisions of the development plan for the area; any relevant views expressed by neighbouring occupiers, local residents and other third parties; and any other relevant material considerations which fairly and reasonably relate to the application concerned. They should also be guided by the policies and advice set out in the Department's Planning Policy Guidance Notes, Statements (PPGs and PPSs) and planning circulars.

Legal Opinion

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of external legal services engaged by her Department was in 2007-08.

Sadiq Khan: External legal costs paid by CLG in the financial year 2007-08 were 1.33 million.

Local Government Finance

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government under what circumstances a local council may transfer assets to community organisations.

John Healey: Local authorities' power to dispose of surplus assets at less than best consideration is governed by the General Disposal Consent 2003 under the Local Government Act 1972. This provides that an authority will not be required to seek specific consent from the Secretary of State for the disposal of land or buildings which the authority considers will help it to secure the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental well-being of its area as defined in the Local Government Act 2000, and where the 'undervalue' (the difference between the unrestricted value of the interest and the consideration accepted) is less than 2 million.
	A local authority will need to demonstrate that the tangible and intangible community benefits accruing from the disposal at less than best consideration outweigh the opportunity costs of not pursuing other options, including the capital receipt that could be obtained from open market sale. The authority will also need to ensure it holds the land under correct powers, that the disposal does not contravene state aid regulations, and that it has obtained a realistic valuation.

Local Government: Elections

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects elections for directly-elected mayors to take place in each of the next 10 years.

John Healey: The following table details the expected election years for directly-elected mayors over the next 10 years, including the Mayor of London:
	
		
			  Local authority  Mayoral election year s 
			 Bedford 2011 2015 2019 
			 Doncaster 2009 2013 2017 
			 Hackney 2010 2014 2018 
			 Hartlepool 2009 2013 2017 
			 Lewisham 2010 2014 2018 
			 Mansfield 2011 2015 2019 
			 Middlesbrough 2011 2015 2019 
			 Newham 2010 2014 2018 
			 North Tyneside 2009 2013 2017 
			 Torbay 2011 2015 2019 
			 Watford 2010 2014 2018 
			 
			 Greater London authority 2012 2016 (1)2020 
			 (1) Outside of the 10-year time frame.

Local Government: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) planning and  (b) other powers the interim authority established for Shrewsbury in the period between the abolition of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council in March 2009 and the elections for new town councillors in June 2009 will have; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The parish council of Shrewsbury, as established on 1 April 2009 will have the normal range of powers available to parish councils from that date. Prior to the parish councillors taking office after the elections in June 2009, the parish council will consist of the councillors elected for the electoral divisions of Shropshire which cover the new parish area.

Mortgages: First-Time Buyers

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 446W, on mortgages: first-time buyers, what estimate she has made of the number of first-time buyers, excluding sitting tenants, in England who took out mortgages of 100 per cent. or more of the purchase price of the property in  (a) each year from 1979 to 2005 and  (b) 2007.

Iain Wright: Data on first time buyers (FTBs) using a mortgage are available from the Regulated Mortgage Survey which is supplied to Communities and Local Government by the Council of Mortgage Lenders from 2005. Before this we collected the data ourselves via the Survey of Mortgage Lenders. However, as the survey is a sample, data on the number of FTBs for England are unavailable. However we can derive proportions and these are presented in the following table back to 1980.
	Estimated proportion of first time buyers, excluding sitting tenants, that took out 100 per cent. mortgages, in England
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 1980 0.60 
			 1981 1.93 
			 1982 13.17 
			 1983 13.08 
			 1984 10.13 
			 1985 18.65 
			 1986 26.05 
			 1987 12.96 
			 1988 11.02 
			 1989 22.26 
			 1990 27.81 
			 1991 15.94 
			 1992 6.34 
			 1993 1.61 
			 1994 1.27 
			 1995 1.14 
			 1996 1.05 
			 1997 0.94 
			 1998 0.79 
			 1999 0.80 
			 2000 1.01 
			 2001 0.82 
			 2002 0.84 
			 2003 2.38 
			 2004 6.25 
			 2005 6.77 
			 2006 8.29 
			 2007 9.84 
			  Notes: 1. Cases where the mortgage taken out is more than the purchase price have been filtered out due to concerns over data quality. 2. Data from 1982 to 1993 are included although there are concerns over the quality of the data.  Source: Regulated Mortgage Survey

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates  (a) the hon. Member for Eastleigh and  (b) Eastleigh Borough Council made submissions to her Department in respect of each draft of the South East Plan.

Sadiq Khan: The hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) submitted his response to the Secretary of State's proposed changes on 22 October 2008. Eastleigh borough council submitted their response on 23 October 2008.
	Eastleigh borough council also submitted a further response to the Examination in Public Panel in June 2006.
	Previous rounds of consultation were handled by the South East England Regional Assembly during the preparation of the draft plan. Eastleigh borough council are represented on the Assembly and would have been involved in the preparation of the draft.

Rented Housing: Private Sector

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the effect of the use of credit scoring by the private rented sector on households who have had their property repossessed in obtaining alternative rented accommodation.

Iain Wright: Landlords are entitled to seek financial references from potential tenants and may use credit scoring in that context. Assuming that they have kept up to date with rent payments, we would not expect a tenant's credit score to be affected by the repossession of a home in which they were staying since, in those circumstances, it is the landlord, not the tenant, who is in default and whose credit rating might be affected.

Rented Housing: Repossession Orders

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of buy-to-let landlords in each region who have had property repossessed in each of the last three years.

Iain Wright: The Council of Mortgage Lenders collects data on the number of buy-to-let mortgage possessions. However, these data are only available for the United Kingdom as a whole. Data are only available currently for 2006 and 2007.
	
		
			  Buy-to-let mortgages taken into possession in period, UK 
			   Number 
			 2006 1,100 
			 2007 2,000 
			  Source: CML.

Supporting People Programme

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Government has for the future of the Supporting People initiative.

Iain Wright: The Government's plans for the Supporting People programme were set out in a written ministerial statement on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 90WS.

Urban Areas: Parking

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 978W, on urban areas: parking, if she will make it her policy to undertake research into the effects on town centre economies of levels of car parking charges.

Iain Wright: Charges are a matter for individual car park owners and their impact on local economies will depend on many local factors.
	The Government will continue to monitor and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of planning policy for town centres from a national perspective, drawing upon annual monitoring reports and other quantitative and qualitative evidence. Local authorities should develop the evidence base for their parking policies in their development plans and local transport plans, undertaking what research they need.

Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether consideration for compensation payments for householders whose bins are not collected on time falls within the scope of the Redress Review.

Sadiq Khan: The Empowerment White Paper Communities in Control: Real people, real power announced that there would be a concise review of the current arrangements across public services, the private sector and in other countries to look at the feasibility and practicality of introducing and extending the idea of redress for citizens where their council services fail to meet agreed standards. The Secretary of State asked David Cook, Chief Executive of Kettering borough council to chair this independent review, which will consider a range of issuesincluding the potential role of compensationand produce recommendations to ensure that local services are putting the consumer at the heart of everything they do. The review is expected to report in spring 2009.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Essex

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department carried out checks with Companies House before awarding Greensward Charitable Trust the sponsorship of academies in Essex.

Jim Knight: As a trust set up by a maintained school, Greensward Charitable Trust was not required to provide any financial sponsorship and no checks were carried out with Companies House before awarding them the sponsorship of academies in Essex.

Boosting Language Auditory Skills and Talking Programme

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Boosting Language Auditory Skills and Talking programme.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Boosting Language and Auditory Skills and Training programme is a package designed to enhance and enrich the speech, language and communication skills of three to four-year-olds. The programme is being used in over 900 settings, mainly in nurseries as well as playgroups, crches, parent toddler groups etc. It operates in a number of local authorities mainly in the North East and we understand it has been effective their early years settings.
	BLAST is one of many programmes providing early years settings with training and resources to improve the quality of communication and language provision. These programmes have contributed to improving practitioners' knowledge and understanding of early language development as well as creating a rich language environment within settings.
	Early language development is a key factor for a child's future success both academically and socially. Through Every Child A Talker we are providing support and funding for early years practitioners in young children's speaking and listening skills. Local authorities are able to use their Every Child a Talker funding flexibly, so that practitioners can take advantage of a range of professional development on early language including BLAST.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Finance

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent by his Department on the Building Schools for the Future programme since its launch; and how much funding is allocated to the programme over the next five years.

Jim Knight: Over the spending period 2005-06 to 2007-08 the following conventional allocations were made for Building Schools for the Future projects: 824 million through supported borrowing allocations, and 514 million of capital grant. In addition, 3,750 million of PFI credits were allocated to the programme.
	For the current spending period 2008-09 to 2010-11, the BSF and academies capital resources are being managed together. New resources for these programmes made available from the comprehensive spending review 2007 exercise are: 5,615 million of capital grant and some 3,700 million of PFI credits. In addition, 888 million of committed capital grant for BSF was carried forward from the previous spending period, which is available to be spent in the current period. The resources that will be available from 2011-12 for BSF and academies, and other capital programmes, will be decided as part of the next spending review exercise.

Care Proceedings

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the average cost of obtaining a care order.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 16  December 2008
	Loughborough university has conducted research into the costs of providing children's services. The costs calculated for children's services of obtaining a court order at 2006/07 prices were 2,765.
	The fees (in current prices) charged by the courts for obtaining a care order are shown as follows in relation to three stages:
	
		
			   Fees for obtaining a care order () 
			 On an application for a care or supervision order under Section 31 of the Children Act 1989 2,225 
			 Where an issues resolution hearing or pre-hearing review has been listed 700 
			 Where a final hearing has been listed 1,900

Castle View School: Playing Fields

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on discussions which have taken place between  (a) officers,  (b) Members and  (c) actual or potential developers under the auspices of Castle Point Borough Council and Essex County Council on development of Castle View School playing fields; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: As part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and its delivery agentsPartnerships for Schools (PfS), have not engaged in any discussions with Castle Point borough council and Essex county council regarding the development of Castle View School playing fields, and therefore do not hold any information on discussions between officers, Members and actual or potential developers.

Children In Care

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children in each local authority area were  (a) looked after and  (b) adopted in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number and proportion of children in each local authority who  (a) were looked after and  (b) adopted in the years 2006-08 can be found in tables LAA1 and table LAE1, taken from the Statistical First Release (SFR 23/2008) entitled Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008. These show the number of looked after children at 31 March for 2004 to 2008 and also the number of looked after children who were adopted during the years ending 31 March 2004 to 31 March 2008.
	The SFR is located at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000810/index.shtml
	and table LAA1 can be found within the excel link labelled first set of additional tables and table LAE1 can be found within the excel link labelled third set of additional tables.

Children in Care: Reading

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what programmes his Department has put in place to provide one-to-one reading tuition for looked-after children.

Beverley Hughes: Looked-after children will benefit from the Every Child a Reader programme, which was established by the KPMG Every Child a Chance Trust in 2005. From September 2008 this programme is being rolled out by the National Strategies on behalf of Government. By 2010/11 it aims to support the bottom 5 per cent. (approximately 30,000) of children aged five and six, some of whom may be looked after, who are struggling to read. Looked-after children who meet the criteria will also benefit from one-to-one tuition which is being introduced on a national basis and which will draw on the lessons learned from the Making Good Progress pilots.
	In order to provide targeted support for looked-after children we have also introduced Personal Education Allowances of 500 per annum for looked-after children who are at risk of not reaching national levels of achievement which can be used to provide a range of educational support to meet their needs. This may include one-to-one tuition out of school to help them with their reading.
	Through the Children, Young People and Families Grant programme we are funding the Letterbox Club, a two year pilot programme managed by Booktrust, to work with over 1,500 looked after children and their foster carers across 52 local authorities. As part of the Letterbox Club initiative looked-after children aged seven to 11 in foster families receive a parcel of books and mathematics activities every month for six months to help their carers work with them to improve their literacy and numeracy.

Children: Abuse

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were abused whilst subject to a child protection plan in each of the last five years in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The available figures cover children who are subject to a Child Protection Plan and include information on category of abuse which let to the plan being put in place and re-referrals. These are available in the annual statistical first release Referrals, Assessments and Children and Young People who are the subject of a Child Protection Plan, England. The latest figures can be found at the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000811/index.shtml.

Children: Cancer

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health on the flexible education provision for childhood cancer survivors.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department is involved in ongoing discussions with the Department of Health looking at how we can work together to improve services for children and young people with, or recovering from, cancer as part of the Children and Young People Survivorship initiative.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on ContactPoint in the last two years;
	(2)  what the implementation timetable for ContactPoint is;
	(3)  in which local authorities ContactPoint will be first implemented; and what assessments his Department has carried out of their capability to use ContactPoint.

Beverley Hughes: We have provided, through our Local Authority Readiness Assessment (LARA) system, a wide range of guidance both for local authorities and local and national partners that covers legal, technical and operational issues. For example, we have issued guidance under section 12(12) of the Children Act 2004, which sets out the key statutory requirements of section 12 and the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007. We have also issued guidance that covers project management and communications, the use of enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (eCRB) disclosures as part of an individual's application to become a ContactPoint user and guidance on shielding records on ContactPoint.
	We announced, in August 2008, that ContactPoint would be deployed from January 2009. We are on track to deploy the first phase from that date and will continue to keep Parliament informed of key developments.
	Local authorities have been undertaking work with relevant local partners to identify children whose records may need to be shielded on ContactPoint. For the purpose of shielding only, ContactPoint will be deployed to all local authorities in England from January 2009. Wider ContactPoint functionality will be deployed first to the ContactPoint early adopters. The early adopters are 17 local authorities and two national partners, whose purpose is to test deployment and experience operational processes in a real environment. This will allow the national ContactPoint team to evaluate the processes and make any necessary adjustments, prior to full deployment of the system to other local authorities and national partners.
	The 17 early adopter local authorities are Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bury, Cheshire, Cumbria, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Manchester, Rochdale, Salford, Sefton, St. Helens, Stockport, Warrington and Wigan. Two national partners, Barnardo's and KIDS, are also early adopters.
	All local authorities and national partners have been required to work through a series of detailed 'readiness assessment' checks and satisfy specified threshold levels, before progressing to the next stage. They are also completing monthly assessments of their progress. Early adopter local authorities have all completed nine readiness assessment checks to date. Other areas will complete a further readiness assessment before being accredited to grant ContactPoint access to users.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families who is responsible for entering children's data into the ContactPoint database; and whether such individuals are required to have had a Criminal Records Bureau check before their appointment.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 19 January 2009
	 ContactPoint will be populated from existing national and local data sources. The persons and bodies who are required and those who are permitted to supply information to ContactPoint are set out in the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007. Securing data directly from existing practitioner systems will avoid the need for double data entry on the part of practitioners. Where direct data feeds are not possible, practitioners may be required to enter the information directly into ContactPoint by logging on via a secure web link or indirectly via an authorised user.
	Everyone with access to ContactPoint, including operators and administrators, will be subject to stringent security checks, including enhanced Criminal Records Bureau clearance which will be renewed every three years.

Children: Day care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment, based on the local authority childcare sufficiency assessments, he has made of the adequacy of standards of childcare achieved; and what recent steps the Government has taken to ensure that local authorities meet requirements to provide childcare services by 31 March 2008.

Beverley Hughes: The Government are committed to the highest possible standards for all child care providers. The Childcare Act 2006 outlined the regulatory regime which is being enforced through a programme of regular inspection against published criteria by Ofsted.
	The Childcare Sufficiency Assessments published by each local authority are helping to identify and address any gaps in the provision of child care appropriate to the needs of working parents and those looking to work in their areas. The Government provide support to local authorities through Government offices in meeting the requirement to secure sufficient child care in the area, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Children: Obesity

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what initiatives the Government has introduced for children of pre-school age to reduce childhood obesity in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives strategy, published in January 2008, set out the Government's plans to reduce obesity, initially focusing on children. Every child should grow up eating well and enjoying being active and we want parents to have the knowledge and confidence to make this happen. There is no single, simple solution to reducing rates of overweight and obesity and therefore the Government are taking action on a number of fronts.
	At a national level, the Government are promoting healthy eating and physical activity. The updated Child Health Promotion Programme was published in March 2008. It prioritises obesity prevention and physical activity by promoting positive parenting during pregnancy and the early years of children's lives. We are working to support as many mothers as possible to breast feed and to continue to breast feed for longerhelped by children's centres, health and other services, all promoting healthy weight. The Healthy Start initiative provides free vitamin supplements, vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetables for low income pregnant women and children up to age four.
	The introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage for 0 to five-year-olds means that all early years education providers must promote the good health of children, by providing healthy, nutritious food and active play. The Play Strategy, launched in December 2008, sets out how Government will invest 235 million over 2008-09 to 2010-11 to develop play facilities for children of all ages. Ofcom have introduced restrictions on advertising foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) to children.
	At a local level, primary care trusts, working with local authorities, are responsible for co-ordinating work to tackle childhood obesity. PCT plans, developed alongside local authority Children and Young People's Plans, will feed into local area agreements agreed with the Government offices. Local areas will develop and implement their own initiatives based on local needs and circumstances. 130 LAs have chosen to include in their local area agreement at least one child obesity indicator from the National Indicator Set.
	Middlesbrough is also one of the nine towns that have been awarded healthy town status as part of the Governments 30 million Healthy Community Challenge Fund. The money will be used to build on existing work and test out ideas on what further action needs to happen to make physical activity and healthy food choices easier for people.
	All this is supported by the Change4Life movement at a national and local level which aims to help families eat well, move more and live longer and which is initially focused on families with young children. Change4Life is working with a range of commercial and voluntary sector partners, signing up to play their part and deliver concrete commitments to change both nationally and locally.

Children: Protection

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made in its communications campaign on children's safety; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: One of the key commitments of the Staying Safe: Action Plan was to launch a major communications campaign on children's safety. This commitment was supported with a 9.0 million investment over the CSR 2008-11. It covers all safeguarding priorities in support of PSA 13 (to Improve Children and Young People's Safety) and is aimed at both the children and young people's work force and the general public.
	Since April 2008, we have been working across government and the third sector to strengthen and promote messages that promote the safety of children. Such initiatives include a national home safety campaign, a campaign to reduce cyber-bullying, information to schools to help promote fire safety, and support of the established BERR campaign to reduce accidents using fireworks.
	We are currently undertaking preparatory work to widen our communications approach for 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Children: Protection

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions his Department has had with Reading Local Education Authority on the level of protection it provides for vulnerable children.

Beverley Hughes: In response to Reading's Joint Area Review and 2008 Annual Performance Assessment, Department for Children, Schools and Families officials have held discussions with representatives of Reading borough council, including with the director of children's services, the chief executive and the lead member for children's services, to explore the issues raised in the Joint Area Review report and discuss improvement measures for the council's safeguarding services for vulnerable children and young people. As a result of those discussions, the Department and Reading borough council are commissioning a package of tailored external support which will begin in February, to support necessary improvements in the council's services.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the target for annual efficiency gains by 2007-08, referred to on pages 107-108 of his Department's Annual Report, was achieved.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The former DFES 2004 Spending Review Efficiency target of 4.35 billion was overachieved with gains of 4.57 billion reported in the 2008 Autumn Performance Report (published December 2008). Within the report there is full disclosure of how the gains were achieved.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of contractors and suppliers to his Department has reported compliance with the Government's security standards following publication of the report, Data Handling Procedures in Government, and the accompanying document, Cross-departmental Actions: Mandatory Minimum Action, on 25 June 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since 1 July 2008 all new contracts with contractors have included appropriate clauses to ensure that they are compliant with the Government's security standards. We are also assessing contracts that were let prior to 1( )July 2008 to address any security issues. An answer to the percentage question could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Departmental Higher Civil Servants

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and how much was spent on such bonuses in each of those years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was created on 28 June 2007. Since then 80 bonuses have been awarded for the performance year 2007/08 worth a total of 780,000.
	The Department has no agencies.

Departmental Supply Estimates

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to which budget he has allocated the 2,500,000 moved from non-voted unallocated provision for Sure Start in his written ministerial statement of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 49WS, on departmental expenditure limit (2008-09).

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The non-voted unallocated provision was transferred to voted provision. The 2,500,000 was allocated to 'Sure Start Current Grants not through Local Authorities' in Request for Resources (RfR) 2 Line A.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the reasons are for the time taken to make education maintenance allowance payments in Kent in 2008-09.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom the LSC's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in both Libraries.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Wansdyke

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many residents of the Wansdyke constituency were in receipt of education maintenance allowance during 2007-08.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in both Libraries.

Education: Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the ranking of Newcastle upon Tyne Local Education Authority in relation to the other local education authorities in the results of the most recent national challenge measurement of achievement at GCSE was; and what bids for funding in respect of the national challenge he has received from Newcastle Local Education Authority.

Jim Knight: Newcastle has 18 per cent. of its schools attaining fewer than 30 per cent. 5 A*-C including English and mathematics. When ranking local authorities according to percentage of schools below the 30 per cent. threshold in proportion to all schools in local authorities, Newcastle upon Tyne local authority has the 43(rd) highest proportion of schools below the threshold. However, this ranking is relatively insensitive for those authorities with a small number of schools, since a single institution may represent a large proportion of the authority's schools.
	Newcastle upon Tyne has received 380,000 of National Challenge funding. This funding will support schools below 30 per cent., help those in danger of falling below and consolidate recent improvements.

GCSE: Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of eligible pupils passed five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C in Cleethorpes constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Pupils( 1)  at maintained schools located in Cleethorpes constituency passing five or more GCSEs or equivalent( 2)  at grade A* to C, 1998/99 to 2007/08 
			   Cleethorpes parliamentary constituency 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 2007/08(3) 968 62.5 
			 2006/07 930 59.9 
			 2005/06 830 53.6 
			 2004/05 755 48.9 
			 2003/04 776 48.0 
			 2002/03 645 43.1 
			 2001/02 694 45.2 
			 2000/01 673 44.2 
			 1999/2000 632 43.1 
			 1998/99 638 42.9 
			 (1) Figures for 2005/06 onwards are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. Data for previous years are based on pupils aged 15 years old at the start of the academic year. (2) From 1998/99 includes GNVQ equivalences and from 2003/04 other equivalences approved for use pre-16. (3) Figures for 2007/08 are based on revised data.

Mathematics: Teaching Methods

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the innovative Key Stage 3 mathematics lesson materials funded by his Department and the Bowland Trust have been made available to schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The DCSF funded the development of the Bowland maths materials and the Bowland Trust funded the production and distribution. The Bowland materials were completed in summer 2008 and distributed to all state schools by the National Strategies in the autumn 2008 term. The materials have now reached all state schools in England. Any school or college in England can either access the materials online or request copies of the five DVDs by completing an online form. Materials are also available for download free of charge for schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

National Assessment Agency: Manpower

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time officials worked at (i) the National Assessment Agency and (ii) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in the 2007-08 tax year; how many in each case received bonuses in that year; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The number of  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time officials that worked within the National Assessment Agency (NAA)(1) and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for the 2007-08 tax year, and the number of bonuses related to that year, is shown in the following table.
	(1) The NAA was part of the QCA, so the figures for NAA are also included within those for the QCA.
	
		
			   NAA  QCA (which includes the NAA) 
			   Full-time  Part-time  Full-time  Part-time 
			 Employees 124 6 483 26 
			 Number who received a bonus 113 6 457 26 
			  Source: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (31 March 2008).

Parents: Hearing Impaired

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the provision of interpreters for deaf parents attending parents' evenings.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government recognise the additional difficulties disabled parents face in effectively engaging at school-parent communication events such as parent evenings. The provisions in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and the advice to schools and local authorities are primarily around how schools provide services for disabled pupils. Through practice guidance for schools on parent evenings the Department encourages schools to use a number of ways to enhance the relationship with parents and carers, including asking parents what they want and what would encourage them to come into the school.
	The Government committed in the Children's Plan Progress Report published in December 2008 to providing guidance for schools and other settings on working with parents, which will include meeting the specific needs of deaf parents and the implications of the DDA for schools work with parents.

Pre-School Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the early years foundation stage specification included guidance on how and when children should learn to grip a pen or pencil.

Beverley Hughes: The early years foundation stage includes an early learning goal that a child should use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed. Supporting practice guidance suggests a range of activities, appropriate to their age that children can do to develop both the large and fine motor skills needed to hold a pencil and write. The guidance indicates that most children would be able to achieve this goal between 40-60 months of age.

Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans the Government have to assess the effects of the introduction of the early years foundation stage on childcare settings.

Beverley Hughes: We are assessing the effects of the introduction of the early years foundation stage through a variety of different methods, including research and work with our colleagues in the national strategies. The results from this work will be used to identify and address any issues relating to implementation. We have also started work on the independent post-implementation review of the EYFS for 2010.

Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate his Department have made of the number and proportion of local authorities which did not meet their requirement to provide a sufficient supply of childcare in the latest period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: Since April 2008 each local authorities must secure, so far as is reasonably practicable sufficient childcare to allow parents in their area to work or undertake education or training leading to work.
	The sufficiency duty operates progressively, with local authorities looking both to meet gaps identified in sufficiency assessments and to reduce constraints on sufficiency over time. Local authorities will, themselves, be able to test the sufficiency of childcare through their sufficiency assessments and childcare sufficiency will, of course, form part of the normal performance management arrangements for local authorities.

Pre-School Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 16 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1495W, on pre-school education, how many and what proportion of children in the 30 per cent. most deprived areas of each local authority were working securely within the 13 assessment areas of the foundation stage profile in each year since 2005.

Beverley Hughes: Information is only readily available for seven of the 13 assessment scales; these are personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy. Further information on the proportion of children working securely within the additional six assessment scales and for earlier years can be compiled and checked only at a disproportionate cost.
	The latest published foundation stage profile results for children working securely in these seven scales, in the 30 per cent. most deprived areas within each local authority, can be found in table D of the additional information for statistical release 25-2008:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000812/index.shtml

Pre-School Education: Labour Turnover

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the average staff turnover rate in daycare settings in England in the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on turnover rates for child care and early years providers in England. The data in table 1 are from the 2007 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey. The information is not available for the past 12 months, therefore the average turnover rate for 2007 has been provided. The turnover rate gives the number of staff that have left as a proportion of all staff who would have been employed at the start of the 12 month period covered by the survey.
	
		
			  Table 1: Turnover rate for child care and early years providers 
			   2007 (percentage) 
			 Full day care 15 
			 Full day care in children's centres 11 
			 Sessional 11 
			 After school clubs 23 
			 Holiday clubs 22 
			 Nursery schools 5 
			 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes 6 
			 Primary schools with reception but no nursery classes 5

Pre-School Education: Manpower

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of people who worked in the childcare sector in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on the number of people working in the childcare sector in England. The data in the following table are from the 2007 and 2001 Childcare and Early Years Providers Surveys. The information is not available for years preceding 2001.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of staff working in childcare providers 
			   Number of paid and unpaid staff 
			   2007  2006  2005  2003  2001 
			 Full day care 165,200 159,300 148,200 124,200 106,500 
			 Full day care in children's centres 14,000 10,500 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sessional 64,500 75,100 77,100 90,800 109,500 
			 After school clubs 50,400 54,500 n/a 29,500 32,200 
			 Holiday clubs 51,200 68,200 n/a 26,600 n/a 
			 n/a = Data were not collected from these providers during these years.  Note: 1. An individual may work for more than one provider. 2. Base: Childcare providers 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001. Staff in early years provision in maintained schools are not included.

Pre-School Education: Teachers

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department provides for the training of childcare staff to level 3.

Beverley Hughes: Funding is provided to local authorities to improve the quality of practice and the capability of the workforce in early years settings within the Outcomes, Quality and Inclusion strand of the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant. This funding may be used to support the continuous professional development of staff, helping more of them to build up to Level 3.
	For the CSR period April 2008 to March 2011 this funding for outcomes, quality and inclusion totalled 438 million. This funding is not exclusively for staff training but, as its name suggests, is to raise quality in general. As funding in main revenue is not ring-fenced, the authority is free to decide how much to spend on each area supported by the grant, in line with local priorities.

Primary Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to amend the primary education syllabus to reduce the workload of  (a) children and  (b) teachers.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, appointed Sir Jim Rose to undertake an independent review of the primary curriculum. The review is looking at amending primary curriculum programmes of study with a view to reducing the level of prescription, where possible, in order to make the primary curriculum more manageable for schools.
	Sir Jim Rose's interim report was published on 8 December 2008, this can be viewed at:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/primarycurriculumreview/
	We look forward to receiving his final report in the spring.

Pupils: Diabetes

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issues to schools on administering of insulin to pupils with diabetes during school hours; what steps it takes to ensure that the guidance is adhered to; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This Department issued, in 2005, guidance entitled 'Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings'. This guidance was published jointly with the Department of Health, and specifically addresses what schools can do to help children with diabetes and other medical conditions.
	Although there is no legal duty on schools to administer medication, or to support a child with self-medication, the guidance encourages schools to develop policies on the management of pupils' medicines and supporting pupils with medical needs. It also encourages schools to draw up, in consultation with parents and medical professionals, individual health care plans for children with medical needs.

Pupils: Mental Health Services

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age in each local authority area have been referred to an educational (i) psychiatrist and (ii) psychologist in the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: This information is not collected centrally.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much Government funding was provided per  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupil in each local authority area in 2007-08.

Jim Knight: The per pupil revenue funding figures for each local authority for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are shown in the following table. Since 2006-07 the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is the main source of school funding. As the DSG is distributed through a single guaranteed unit of funding and is distributed from central Government. A primary/secondary split is not available. The figures in the table are for all funded pupils aged 3-19 and are provided in cash terms:
	
		
			   DSG + Grants per pupil 
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			 England 4,530 4,690 
			
			 Barking and Dagenham 5,110 5,270 
			 Barnet 5,010 5,200 
			 Barnsley 4,370 4,480 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 4,270 4,430 
			 Bedfordshire 4,250 4,410 
			 Bexley 4,550 4,730 
			 Birmingham 5,050 5,240 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 4,900 5,040 
			 Blackpool 4,480 4,620 
			 Bolton 4,480 4,600 
			 Bournemouth 4,190 4,300 
			 Bracknell Forest 4,360 4,500 
			 Bradford 4,710 4,870 
			 Brent 5,450 5,700 
			 Brighton and Hove 4,530 4,660 
			 Bristol, City of 4,920 5,050 
			 Bromley 4,400 4,590 
			 Buckinghamshire 4,340 4,510 
			 Bury 4,280 4,430 
			 Calderdale 4,420 4,570 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,110 4,280 
			 Camden 6,730 6,910 
			 Cheshire 4,240 4,430 
			 Cornwall 4,170 4,340 
			 Coventry 4,670 4,790 
			 Croydon 4,740 4,910 
			 Cumbria 4,320 4,430 
			 Darlington 4,420 4,550 
			 Derby 4,500 4,660 
			 Derbyshire 4,210 4,450 
			 Devon 4,120 4,280 
			 Doncaster 4,480 4,630 
			 Dorset 4,200 4,350 
			 Dudley 4,350 4,510 
			 Durham 4,520 4,730 
			 Ealing 5,400 5,620 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 4,100 4,270 
			 East Sussex 4,420 4,560 
			 Enfield 4,950 5,100 
			 Essex 4,290 4,450 
			 Gateshead 4,600 4,740 
			 Gloucestershire 4,150 4,370 
			 Greenwich 5,980 6,260 
			 Hackney 6,900 7,250 
			 Halton 4,840 4,960 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6,390 6,490 
			 Hampshire 4,120 4,320 
			 Haringey 5,710 5,940 
			 Harrow 4,850 5,170 
			 Hartlepool 4,660 4,830 
			 Havering 4,490 4,670 
			 Herefordshire 4,160 4,320 
			 Hertfordshire 4,290 4,500 
			 Hillingdon 4,820 4,990 
			 Hounslow 5,210 5,380 
			 Isle of Wight 4,570 4,660 
			 Islington 6,540 6,660 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 6,450 6,530 
			 Kent 4,350 4,520 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 4,700 4,870 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4,670 4,850 
			 Kirklees 4,440 4,650 
			 Knowsley 4,920 5,080 
			 Lambeth 6,460 6,780 
			 Lancashire 4,370 4,520 
			 Leeds 4,450 4,620 
			 Leicester 4,750 4,860 
			 Leicestershire 3,950 4,150 
			 Lewisham 6,150 6,330 
			 Lincolnshire 4,270 4,410 
			 Liverpool 4,960 5,140 
			 Luton 4,800 4,960 
			 Manchester 5,280 5,440 
			 Medway 4,450 4,600 
			 Merton 4,850 5,010 
			 Middlesbrough 4,910 4,960 
			 Milton Keynes 4,520 4,710 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,680 4,840 
			 Newham 5,730 5,970 
			 Norfolk 4,250 4,410 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4,660 4,850 
			 North Lincolnshire 4,280 4,420 
			 North Somerset 4,150 4,310 
			 North Tyneside 4,380 4,520 
			 North Yorkshire 4,260 4,440 
			 Northamptonshire 4,170 4,360 
			 Northumberland 4,270 4,400 
			 Nottingham 5,200 5,330 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,220 4,390 
			 Oldham 4,670 4,820 
			 Oxfordshire 4,260 4,410 
			 Peterborough 4,580 4,790 
			 Plymouth 4,390 4,540 
			 Poole 4,130 4,250 
			 Portsmouth 4,490 4,650 
			 Reading 4,790 4,870 
			 Redbridge 4,650 4,820 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 4,560 4,750 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,570 4,750 
			 Rochdale 4,740 4,900 
			 Rotherham 4,580 4,730 
			 Rutland 4,330 4,400 
			 Salford 4,940 5,050 
			 Sandwell 4,780 4,890 
			 Sefton 4,460 4,590 
			 Sheffield 4,460 4,650 
			 Shropshire 4,110 4,240 
			 Slough 4,950 5,130 
			 Solihull 4,110 4,270 
			 Somerset 4,130 4,350 
			 South Gloucestershire 4,010 4,150 
			 South Tyneside 4,700 4,910 
			 Southampton 4,590 4,750 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4,480 4,620 
			 Southwark 6,480 6,650 
			 St Helens 4,520 4,640 
			 Staffordshire 4,130 4,290 
			 Stockport 4,220 4,410 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 4,530 4,620 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4,660 4,800 
			 Suffolk 4,160 4,320 
			 Sunderland 4,520 4,680 
			 Surrey 4,270 4,450 
			 Sutton 4,630 4,810 
			 Swindon 4,150 4,310 
			 Tameside 4,410 4,560 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4,400 4,510 
			 Thurrock 4,550 4,700 
			 Torbay 4,330 4,460 
			 Tower Hamlets 7,100 7,350 
			 Trafford 4,230 4,400 
			 Wakefield 4,400 4,550 
			 Walsall 4,580 4,700 
			 Waltham Forest 5,210 5,330 
			 Wandsworth 5,740 5,980 
			 Warrington 4,140 4,320 
			 Warwickshire 4,160 4,320 
			 West Berkshire 4,420 4,570 
			 West Sussex 4,210 4,370 
			 Westminster 6,160 6,260 
			 Wigan 4,360 4,510 
			 Wiltshire 4,100 4,250 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4,470 4,630 
			 Wirral 4,500 4,630 
			 Wokingham 4,210 4,360 
			 Wolverhampton 4,740 4,940 
			 Worcestershire 4,110 4,300 
			 York 4,160 4,360 
			  Notes: 1. Price Base: Cash 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10

Religion: Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to develop a national curriculum for religious education; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government have no plans to develop a statutory national curriculum for Religious Education (RE). There is a non-statutory National Framework for Religious Education that all major faith groups have endorsed in 2004. Religious Education is already a statutory subject and every maintained school must provide religious education (RE) for all its pupils. It is the responsibility of the head teacher, governing body and the local authority (LA) to ensure that this is done. Local Standing Councils for Religious Education (SACREs), established by the LA, have the responsibility to ensure that local RE syllabuses, taking account of national guidance, reflect the make up of the local community.

Schools: Admissions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reason the words in paragraph 1.65(d) of the School Admissions Code requiring parents' preferences for the school of their choice to be met to the maximum extent possible have been removed from the revised Code.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We have taken the opportunity afforded by the revised code to remove areas of duplication in the text and therefore to improve clarity for admission authorities. The right of parents to apply for any school they want their child to attend and the duty on admission authorities to ensure that their preferences are met to the fullest possible extent are enshrined in section 86 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The requirement to offer a place, where one is available and where such an offer would not prejudice the provision of efficient education or the use of resources, at the school that is the parents' highest preference is fundamental to the system and is reflected throughout the code and regulations, for example at paragraphs 1.37, 1.42 and 3.15(d).

Schools: Sport

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of 5 to 16-year- olds in each School Sport Partnership participated in a minimum of two hours of high quality physical education and sport each week in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The PE and School Sport survey collects data relating to young people's participation in PE and sport. The most recent survey found that an average of 90 per cent. of five to 16-year-olds in England participated in at least two hours high quality PE and sport each week in 2007/08.
	The following table sets out pupils' participation in each School Sport Partnership. Copies of the full findings of the survey have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils who participated in at least two hours of high quality PE and out of hours school sport in a typical week  analysis by Partnership 
			   Total  Years 1 - 2  Years 3 - 6  Years 7 - 9  Years 10 - 11 
			 Abraham Guest 93 100 100 99 67 
			 Aireville 95 94 100 98 85 
			 Alderman Peel 86 93 93 82 75 
			 Alderman Smith 91 99 97 93 70 
			 All Hallows RC 91 91 93 88 90 
			 All Saints 87 94 98 87 64 
			 Angley 94 100 100 93 82 
			 Angmering 93 95 98 96 78 
			 Anthony Gell 92 100 100 90 77 
			 Archbishop Beck 89 88 95 89 77 
			 Archbishop Lanfranc 89 97 99 88 53 
			 Arrow Vale 95 100 100 97 78 
			 Ash Manor 91 97 98 92 69 
			 Ashington I (Ashington) 88 90 93 90 73 
			 Ashington II (Blyth and Bedlington) 92 100 97 87 79 
			 Ashington III (Cramlington and Seaton Valley) 92 100 98 100 72 
			 Ashton on Mersey 93 99 99 92 75 
			 Ashton Park 89 100 98 80 67 
			 Astley (Tameside) 86 97 99 87 56 
			 Astor of Hever 86 94 90 86 71 
			 Avon Valley 89 90 95 93 68 
			 Aylesford 94 100 100 81 84 
			 Bacons 87 90 96 90 59 
			 Balby Carr 80 94 97 67 58 
			 Barking Abbey 92 100 100 90 68 
			 Barlby 92 98 96 100 68 
			 Barnet East 90 100 100 96 56 
			 Barnet South 88 89 92 100 60 
			 Barnhill 96 100 94 100 90 
			 Barstable 81 92 84 89 49 
			 Baverstock 96 93 99 100 89 
			 Baysgarth 83 90 94 92 46 
			 Beacon/North Wealdon 91 100 100 90 70 
			 Bebington 89 86 94 93 77 
			 Beckfoot 93 94 96 100 77 
			 Benfield 93 98 97 100 72 
			 Benfield II (Newcastle) 90 100 100 90 67 
			 Berry Hill (Stoke on Trent) 86 88 98 92 54 
			 Bexley 94 100 100 100 71 
			 Biddenham 98 100 99 99 90 
			 Biddick 91 100 99 96 63 
			 Biddulph 90 98 97 93 67 
			 Birchwood 93 95 96 100 76 
			 Bishop Barrington 95 99 99 100 78 
			 Bishop Challoner 89 94 92 96 66 
			 Bishop Wand 91 99 100 91 65 
			 Bishops 88 100 96 83 74 
			 Bitterne Park 84 100 100 75 59 
			 Blacon 92 98 99 100 65 
			 Blakeston Community 89 98 99 93 62 
			 Blessed George Napier 95 96 96 100 85 
			 Blessed Trinity (St. Theodores) 90 96 100 89 68 
			 Bognor Regis 85 100 100 72 58 
			 Borden Grammar 81 90 89 73 70 
			 Boston 90 93 98 97 59 
			 Bosworth 87 99 97 80 66 
			 Bowring 89 91 96 100 58 
			 Bracknell Forest/Brakenhale 89 98 97 93 58 
			 Bramcote Hills 92 96 99 100 68 
			 Bridgemary 95 88 99 100 86 
			 Bridlington 94 100 100 99 74 
			 Brierton 93 98 99 94 78 
			 Brighton Hill 94 100 99 97 69 
			 Brinkburn 90 100 98 95 60 
			 Broad Oak / Bury 95 95 99 100 77 
			 Brookfield (Derbyshire) 88 100 100 97 48 
			 Brookfield (Knowsley) 88 98 99 85 65 
			 Brooksbank 80 96 98 71 53 
			 Brookway 86 98 98 82 50 
			 Brownedge St. Marys 91 90 94 100 73 
			 Buckingham 96 99 100 94 89 
			 Bulmershe 95 100 97 100 77 
			 Burleigh 88 85 95 98 63 
			 Burnham Upper 94 92 94 100 88 
			 Burnholme 93 86 98 100 79 
			 Buxton 93 96 96 98 79 
			 Caistor 90 97 100 90 71 
			 Callington 96 100 99 100 78 
			 Calthorpe 93 87 95 100 81 
			 Canterbury 94 98 99 93 84 
			 Capital City Academy (Brent) 88 100 100 79 60 
			 Cardinal Heenan (1) 90 95 97 100 60 
			 Cardinal Langley 86 91 94 97 54 
			 Carisbrooke 85 100 89 78 76 
			 Carr Manor 90 94 96 100 61 
			 Carres 93 99 100 95 76 
			 Carshalton 90 97 98 93 63 
			 Castle (Kent) 86 100 100 85 57 
			 Castle (Somerset) 91 91 94 100 72 
			 Caterham 82 85 76 100 66 
			 Cavendish 95 97 99 100 81 
			 Central Technology 90 98 97 98 59 
			 Chadsgrove 86 100 100 74 65 
			 Charlton 79 75 83 79 72 
			 Charters 91 96 92 98 75 
			 Chasetown 87 90 96 82 76 
			 Cherry Willingham 87 89 99 85 65 
			 Cheshire Oaks 91 99 100 100 57 
			 Cheslyn Hay 88 96 93 95 65 
			 Chessington (Kingston) 92 100 100 93 65 
			 Chesterfield/Sefton 94 99 99 97 78 
			 Chesterton 79 79 90 88 44 
			 Childwall 88 97 99 89 59 
			 Chipping Norton 88 93 98 89 63 
			 Christ College 89 97 98 90 65 
			 Churchill Community 87 100 100 82 53 
			 Cirencester Kingshill 96 100 100 97 86 
			 City Academy (Bristol) 89 82 96 93 80 
			 City of Lincoln 90 98 100 94 60 
			 Cliff Park 88 100 98 80 70 
			 Collegiate/Palatine 91 95 98 99 66 
			 Colmers 98 100 100 97 95 
			 Colne 92 82 90 100 94 
			 Comberton Village 93 98 98 94 74 
			 Consett 89 97 95 86 75 
			 Coopers Company and Coborn 87 99 84 91 77 
			 Copeland 92 100 99 98 66 
			 Copleston 87 96 94 81 72 
			 Corby 92 97 99 100 63 
			 Coseley 83 99 97 80 50 
			 Countesthorpe 84 95 97 85 47 
			 Counthill 94 96 96 100 78 
			 Crown Hills 85 89 87 91 66 
			 Cumberland (Newham) 86 95 97 77 67 
			 Davenant 95 98 99 100 77 
			 Dayncourt 93 95 99 100 69 
			 Deanes 96 96 96 98 93 
			 Denbigh 96 97 100 100 78 
			 Derby Moor 89 97 91 94 71 
			 Devizes 92 96 98 87 84 
			 Dorothy Stringer 90 92 97 95 68 
			 Dr Challoners 89 99 100 86 71 
			 Droitwich Spa 96 100 100 100 76 
			 Earlham 90 98 98 88 73 
			 Easington 87 98 99 91 53 
			 Eastwood 94 98 99 98 76 
			 Ellis Guilford 89 96 99 88 64 
			 Ellowes Hall 93 93 96 99 79 
			 Eltham Green 86 94 99 90 49 
			 Emerson Park 83 100 100 81 47 
			 Enfield 94 100 100 96 70 
			 Epsom and Ewell 82 88 91 82 56 
			 Evesham (South Worcestershire) 88 100 100 93 46 
			 Failsworth 93 92 96 100 79 
			 Farnborough 85 98 99 80 56 
			 Farringdon 92 97 99 94 72 
			 Fearns Community 88 95 98 90 63 
			 Featherstone 90 92 96 93 66 
			 Feltham 92 100 100 89 72 
			 Fleetwood 92 94 95 100 74 
			 Flixton Girls 80 90 96 65 55 
			 Framingham Earl 92 96 98 100 66 
			 Freman 97 100 100 100 85 
			 Furness/Thorncliffe 95 98 100 100 76 
			 Gilesgate (Durham) 88 100 99 95 50 
			 Glenburn 85 89 92 94 54 
			 Golden Hillock 98 100 100 100 88 
			 Grange (Dorset) 90 100 100 98 53 
			 Grange (South Gloucestershire) 89 100 96 81 78 
			 Granville 85 93 89 94 55 
			 Great Baddow 91 99 99 90 74 
			 Great Torrington 90 100 100 97 53 
			 Greenacre 81 91 96 81 55 
			 Hackney Free and Parochial 82 90 93 72 51 
			 Hagley Park 88 96 98 87 63 
			 Hailsham 95 96 100 100 78 
			 Hamble Community 92 100 96 87 84 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 91 100 100 86 72 
			 Hamstead Hall 92 82 96 99 84 
			 Handsworth Grange 91 100 99 97 59 
			 Hanley Castle 98 87 99 100 100 
			 Hanson 84 92 99 82 44 
			 Harlington 87 88 89 96 69 
			 Harris (Warwickshire East) 97 96 100 97 93 
			 Harris Academy Merton 92 100 100 91 69 
			 Harris Girls 88 99 99 85 54 
			 Harrogate 90 90 95 98 73 
			 Harrow High 85 99 96 82 47 
			 Hartford 91 93 97 99 66 
			 Hartismere 92 95 100 95 69 
			 Hartshead 86 99 98 87 51 
			 Harvey Grammar 87 95 99 91 46 
			 Haverstock 86 95 98 91 48 
			 Haydock 94 98 99 98 79 
			 Haydon Bridge II (North Northumberland) 87 100 100 100 32 
			 Haydon Bridge III (Morpeth and Ponteland) 93 100 100 92 77 
			 Haydon Bridge/Tynedale 92 100 100 97 67 
			 Hayesbrook (Tonbridge) 88 92 99 91 61 
			 Henry Cort 94 100 100 100 69 
			 Herne Bay 93 100 100 98 66 
			 Heysham 99 95 99 99 100 
			 Heywood 92 92 98 95 74 
			 High Ridge/North Lincolnshire 95 98 99 98 81 
			 Hillingdon 84 98 99 84 50 
			 Hinchingbrooke 89 94 97 100 56 
			 Hipperholme and Lightcliffe 91 97 97 99 62 
			 Holden Lane 95 98 97 100 79 
			 Holgate 85 92 99 82 57 
			 Holmfirth High 95 99 99 100 72 
			 Holy Cross 89 92 96 100 57 
			 Houghton Kepier 92 95 99 86 86 
			 Howard 79 85 85 87 51 
			 Hurstmere 85 87 93 86 69 
			 Idsall 96 99 99 100 81 
			 Isleworth and Syon 90 99 99 90 69 
			 Islington CEA 89 92 99 84 66 
			 Ivybridge Community 99 100 100 100 96 
			 John Fisher 97 100 100 100 86 
			 John Madejski 89 92 93 100 56 
			 John Spence 96 100 100 92 90 
			 Joseph Whitaker 93 87 97 100 81 
			 Kelsey Park 87 97 97 81 63 
			 Kenilworth 88 92 98 90 64 
			 Kineton 87 88 98 90 64 
			 King Alfreds (Oxfordshire) 97 99 100 96 89 
			 King Alfreds (Somerset) 94 98 98 97 77 
			 King Arthurs 88 93 95 97 57 
			 King Edmund 90 96 100 89 66 
			 King Edward VI 97 100 100 96 90 
			 King Edward VI Aston 87 79 89 100 74 
			 King Edward VII 90 98 100 84 73 
			 King Edward VII (Leicestershire) 89 94 95 91 67 
			 King George V/South Tyneside 87 100 100 86 63 
			 Kingdown Community 97 98 99 100 89 
			 Kings 95 98 100 100 77 
			 Kings Manor 93 95 98 100 73 
			 Kingsbury 86 95 94 88 59 
			 Kingsbury (Birmingham) 82 92 97 70 68 
			 Kirk Hallam 87 97 97 94 51 
			 Kirkby (Nottinghamshire) 85 100 98 84 51 
			 Kirkby Stephen 88 96 100 87 62 
			 Kirkley 91 98 97 94 71 
			 Knights Academy (Lewisham/Haberdashers) 88 97 98 87 54 
			 Knights Templar 90 89 90 100 79 
			 Knottingley 90 98 99 100 54 
			 Lacon Childe 97 99 99 100 89 
			 Lady Lumleys 96 94 100 100 85 
			 Lakelands 88 75 95 97 73 
			 Lakes 89 97 100 95 58 
			 Lancaster 89 92 94 98 62 
			 Langdon Park 88 90 95 82 77 
			 Langdon School 97 100 100 97 88 
			 Laurence Jackson 83 100 100 85 44 
			 Lea Valley 94 100 100 87 84 
			 Lees Brook 92 98 97 93 77 
			 Leon 92 97 99 85 82 
			 Lewisham 87 95 97 88 51 
			 Leytonstone 93 100 100 92 72 
			 Lode Heath (South Solihull) 89 87 99 92 70 
			 London Nautical/Lambeth 89 94 98 82 65 
			 Longfield 89 94 93 99 60 
			 Longfield Melton 99 99 99 97 100 
			 Longslade 86 95 99 95 40 
			 Lord Williams 79 74 80 92 64 
			 Lordswood Boys 88 90 95 93 70 
			 Lowton/Wigan 89 96 97 92 64 
			 Lymm 97 99 100 100 83 
			 Lyng Hall 85 86 88 84 83 
			 Madeley 94 99 100 99 72 
			 Mandeville 93 99 96 100 71 
			 Manor (Nottinghamshire) 93 89 97 94 89 
			 Manor (Raunds) 90 95 97 94 65 
			 Mark Hall/Harlow 90 88 97 89 78 
			 Marple Hall 92 95 100 95 73 
			 Marriotts 94 96 100 100 76 
			 Mayfield 83 84 92 95 50 
			 Meopham 86 92 97 87 60 
			 Middlecott 93 100 99 85 88 
			 Minster (Herefordshire) 95 99 100 90 88 
			 Mountbatten 92 98 99 94 72 
			 Mounts Bay 87 87 94 91 68 
			 Mowbray 96 100 100 100 88 
			 Netherhall (Cambridgeshire) 93 94 95 100 76 
			 Netherhall (Cumbria) 85 100 97 85 56 
			 Newmarket 91 90 97 100 66 
			 Newsome High 87 98 98 79 65 
			 Nicholas Breakspear 94 92 99 98 82 
			 Ninestiles 87 85 95 99 56 
			 Norden 87 80 93 96 67 
			 Norlington Boys 89 100 98 90 59 
			 Northampton Academy 94 95 99 92 87 
			 Northfield 92 97 97 99 69 
			 Northfields Technology 82 99 92 71 62 
			 Oakbank 88 91 96 90 63 
			 Oasis Academy Wintringham 91 90 92 98 78 
			 Oldbury College 83 88 93 79 64 
			 Oldfield (5) 95 100 100 93 85 
			 Oldfield (9) 90 93 100 94 68 
			 Our Lady (Manchester) 79 91 96 70 42 
			 Our Lady and St. Chad 90 100 100 84 64 
			 Our Ladys Lancashire 90 95 98 98 60 
			 Outwood Grange 94 100 100 100 72 
			 Paignton 90 100 99 93 65 
			 Park High (Wirral) 91 100 99 89 68 
			 Park House 96 99 98 100 86 
			 Parklands 88 99 100 96 51 
			 Pendle 89 94 95 99 62 
			 Penryn 95 92 97 100 87 
			 Pensby 87 98 98 92 51 
			 Perins 91 98 100 92 66 
			 Phoenix 95 97 100 97 78 
			 Pickering High 94 100 100 94 78 
			 Pindar 88 96 87 96 73 
			 Plymstock 92 94 98 97 75 
			 Poltair 98 95 99 100 93 
			 Portchester Boys 90 93 98 94 68 
			 Portway 91 94 96 90 76 
			 Priesthorpe 90 100 100 97 57 
			 Priory (Barnsley) 91 99 100 98 61 
			 Priory (Bromley) 92 99 100 97 67 
			 Priory (Portsmouth) 88 100 94 88 69 
			 Queen Elizabeths (Dorset) 92 100 95 94 73 
			 Queen Elizabeths Girls 96 100 100 98 84 
			 Queens 91 93 96 97 70 
			 Radcliffe 99 100 100 100 96 
			 Ramsey 95 98 100 100 75 
			 Rawlett 88 90 92 95 69 
			 Rawmarsh 87 100 100 79 66 
			 Redborne 96 100 100 94 89 
			 Redbridge Community 84 95 96 82 51 
			 Retford Oaks 86 89 97 89 60 
			 Rickmansworth 92 96 97 95 73 
			 Risedale 93 96 100 92 79 
			 Roade 91 93 95 98 68 
			 Robert Sutton 86 85 98 96 55 
			 Rodillian 93 93 99 96 76 
			 Roseberry 98 100 98 100 95 
			 Rossington 82 97 97 73 57 
			 Rossmore 95 100 100 94 84 
			 Roundwood Park 92 98 99 90 79 
			 Royal Alexandra and Albert 89 97 99 89 59 
			 Rush Croft 96 100 98 100 79 
			 Ruskin 92 91 97 100 71 
			 Rutland 88 96 99 77 65 
			 Rye Hills 92 100 93 95 81 
			 Saffron Walden 93 87 99 100 77 
			 Saints Peter and Paul (Halton) 87 93 92 91 65 
			 Samuel Cody 89 99 99 87 63 
			 Sandbach 94 94 97 100 79 
			 Sandown 88 95 94 91 65 
			 Sandy Upper 94 100 99 100 68 
			 Sedgefield 91 98 98 93 68 
			 Sele 95 100 100 96 77 
			 Selhurst High 90 86 97 90 80 
			 Shaftesbury 98 100 100 100 89 
			 Sharnbrook Upper 94 100 100 100 69 
			 Shelfield 88 83 97 97 66 
			 Shenfield 90 100 100 100 59 
			 Shoeburyness (Southend/Thorpe Bay) 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Siddal Moor 94 94 97 93 89 
			 Sion-Manning 92 97 99 86 78 
			 Sir Frederic Osborn 93 91 97 100 75 
			 Sir John Hunt 90 94 99 93 62 
			 Sir William Borlase 90 93 99 93 69 
			 Skegness Grammar 91 97 96 98 69 
			 Smestow 86 94 94 87 59 
			 Smiths Wood 89 73 83 100 91 
			 South Dartmoor 89 99 100 87 63 
			 South Hunsley 88 93 95 97 60 
			 South Wigston 88 98 97 87 65 
			 Southfield 94 89 95 100 86 
			 Southfields/Ernest Bevin 88 93 96 91 60 
			 Spalding High 92 100 100 96 68 
			 Spen Valley 91 95 93 87 89 
			 St. Aidans 92 100 100 99 62 
			 St. Ambrose Barlow 89 100 99 85 65 
			 St. Bedes/Blackburn with Darwen 89 91 93 95 70 
			 St. Edmunds 96 100 100 96 86 
			 St. James 78 93 92 76 28 
			 St. John Fisher 80 88 98 63 49 
			 St. Josephs 90 95 98 93 67 
			 St. Lukes (Exeter) 98 100 100 100 89 
			 St. Lukes (Swindon) 86 83 92 90 69 
			 St. Marys (Hull) 84 100 100 76 59 
			 St. Marys (Leeds) 91 93 99 98 69 
			 St. Pauls 92 99 98 100 65 
			 St. Thomas More Catholic 95 96 100 100 75 
			 Stafford 84 96 98 83 53 
			 Stanground 86 86 94 94 57 
			 Stanley 91 99 99 92 70 
			 Staunton Park 87 99 100 81 62 
			 Stockport 83 97 99 79 50 
			 Stopsley 92 98 96 99 67 
			 Stowmarket 85 100 97 79 55 
			 Streetly 91 86 95 99 78 
			 Sudbury 89 97 96 87 73 
			 Sundorne 94 96 100 99 75 
			 Sutton High 90 100 100 93 59 
			 Swadelands 83 92 100 76 49 
			 Swan Valley 94 96 97 99 78 
			 Swanwick Hall 86 97 96 88 57 
			 Taverham 99 100 100 100 98 
			 Testwood 93 99 96 97 78 
			 Theale Green 86 92 92 99 54 
			 Therfield 87 91 96 88 65 
			 Thirsk 93 96 98 100 70 
			 Thomas Bennett 86 98 98 90 47 
			 Thomas Keble 89 90 96 95 65 
			 Thornleigh Salesian 89 88 96 98 60 
			 Thornton Grammar 83 98 96 74 45 
			 Thorpe St. Andrew 95 100 100 100 71 
			 Thurstable 95 99 100 95 83 
			 Tibshelf 90 100 97 87 72 
			 Tongs 95 94 98 100 83 
			 Tower Hamlets 85 100 97 77 53 
			 Toynbee 88 96 97 90 62 
			 Tulketh (Preston) 86 80 94 94 65 
			 Tupton Hall 90 97 98 100 57 
			 Turnford 97 97 98 100 90 
			 Ursuline College 84 98 100 73 61 
			 Vandyke Upper 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Wallingford 93 98 99 91 79 
			 Wayland 99 96 100 100 97 
			 Weald 80 91 96 74 42 
			 Wentworth 86 93 95 82 70 
			 West London Academy 96 100 100 97 82 
			 Westbourne 90 100 96 90 72 
			 Westcroft 99 100 100 100 96 
			 Westfield (Points Sheffield) 79 97 92 78 39 
			 Westminster 93 96 97 99 71 
			 Wexham 87 76 89 96 80 
			 Wey Valley 93 98 99 89 84 
			 Wheldon 94 100 99 100 75 
			 Whickham 86 98 98 87 52 
			 Whitecross 95 99 99 100 79 
			 Whitton (Richmond) 93 100 97 92 76 
			 Wickersley 87 93 97 87 62 
			 Willenhall 91 98 98 93 67 
			 William Beamont (Warrington) 94 100 97 99 78 
			 William de Ferrers 87 99 100 92 45 
			 William Edwards 91 93 99 81 84 
			 William Parker 90 96 97 90 72 
			 Wilmslow 92 96 99 98 68 
			 Wilson Stuart 91 95 99 100 60 
			 Windsor (Dudley South) 91 100 99 100 55 
			 Windsor Boys and Girls 94 100 100 97 74 
			 Winston Churchill 87 95 97 79 73 
			 Wisewood (Arches) 83 92 93 83 54 
			 Witchford 87 97 98 79 64 
			 Wolverley 97 100 99 100 87 
			 Wood Green (Sandwell) 88 89 96 91 64 
			 Woodcote 86 100 99 88 48 
			 Woodhey 91 99 100 95 68 
			 Woodlands (Coventry) 88 89 92 99 63 
			 Woodside High 87 94 88 94 66 
			 Worden 87 96 100 79 69 
			 Wright Robinson (Manchester East) 91 89 92 98 81 
			 Wye Valley 95 98 98 89 90 
			 Wyvern 90 98 96 94 68 
			 York High 95 100 100 98 74

Schools: Wansdyke

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on the salaries of  (a) teachers,  (b) teaching assistants and  (c) support staff in Wansdyke constituency in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2007-08.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates education funding to local authorities so the requested information for Wansdyke constituency is not available. The figures provided in the following table are for Bath and North-East Somerset, City of Bristol and South Gloucestershire local authorities as each of these authorities are responsible for schools located in Wansdyke constituency.
	
		
			  Staffing expenditure by local authority maintained schools for 1996-97 and 2007-08 
			   1996-97  2007-08 
			  Local authority name  Teaching staff  Education support staff  Other support staff  Total  Teaching staff  Education support staff  Other support staff  Total 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 32,153,000 3,260,000 3,447,000 38,860,000 60,998,000 11,476,000 9,991,000 82,466,000 
			 Bristol, City of 72,936,000 10,878,000 7,998,000 91,812,000 111,017,000 28,917,000 20,104,000 160,038,000 
			 South Gloucestershire 50,463,000 5,074,000 5,302,000 60,839,000 93,382,000 18,600,000 14,172,000 126,154,000 
			  Notes: 1. Includes expenditure on salaries and wages consisting of gross pay, including bonus and allowances, maternity pay and the employer's contributions to national insurance and superannuation for all teachers and supply teachers employed directly by the school; including supernumerary/peripatetic teachers on short-term contracts. This relates to all contracted full time and part time teachers paid within the scope of the Education Act 2002. Also includes threshold payments and other payments relating to teacher pay reforms and also any agency costs for teaching staff that have been brought in to cover teacher absence. 2. Includes expenditure on salaries and wages consisting of gross pay, including of bonus and allowances, maternity pay and the employer's contributions to national insurance and superannuation for education support staff employed directly by the school in support of students' learning. Includes: Childcare staff Classroom assistants/learning support assistants Exam invigilators Foreign language assistants Librarians Nursery assistants Pianists Residential child care officers at a residential special school Supply education support staff Workshop and technology technicians Educational welfare officers 3. Expenditure on salaries and wages consisting of gross pay, inclusive of bonus, overtime and allowances, and the employer's contribution to national insurance and superannuation for premises staff, administrative and clerical staff, catering staff and any other staff employed directly by the school. Also includes the cost of all staff employed directly by the school for extended community activities that cannot be funded from the delegated budget. 4. Financial data for the 1996-97 financial year are drawn from Local Authority Revenue Outturn (RO1) forms submitted to the CLG (formerly ODPM). Figures for the 2007-08 financial year are drawn from Local Authority Section 52 Outturn returns submitted to the DCSF. 5. 2007-08 data are subject to change by the local authority. 6. Cash figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 and may not sum due to rounding.

Secondary Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many secondary schools there were at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of secondary schools in England at 26 January 2009. These figures do not include special schools.
	
		
			  Number of secondary schools in England 
			   Number 
			 Secondary Schools 2,993 
			 Middle deemed Secondary Schools 231 
			 City Technology Colleges 3 
			 Academies 133 
			 Total (state funded secondary sector)(1) 3,360 
			 (1) Included are a small number of all-through schools.

Sight Impaired

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidelines his Department follows in respect of making printed materials and forms accessible to people suffering red/green colour blindness.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department's new corporate branding has strict guidelines for the application of colour. For all corporate publications text should be:
	Black on white for large blocks of text
	A bold colour on white for headings or short snippets (for example quotes)
	In black or white, on a bold block of colour
	Our corporate design guidelines specifically prohibit the use of any colour text on any colour background.
	Although not specifically formulated to address colour blindness, we believe these design principles should avoid it being an issue for our corporate publications.

Social Services: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints were made against children's social services departments in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: This information is not collected centrally. However, local authorities are required to keep a record of each representation or complaint received; the decisions made in response and any action to be taken; and whether there was compliance with the time limits. The local authority must produce an annual report drawing on this information. This should not contain personal information that is identifiable about any individual complainant.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary,  (b) secondary and  (c) special schools have (i) two to four per cent., (ii) four to six per cent., (iii) six to eight per cent., (iv) eight to 10 per cent. and (v) more than 10 per cent. of its pupils in care.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is shown in the table. This is based on data obtained via the school census.
	The census shows 34,390 pupils aged five to 19 attending primary, secondary and special schools who are classed as being in care as at January 2008. Data published by the Department as SFR 23/2008: Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008, shows 47,600 children aged between five and 19 as being looked after as at 31 March 2008. The school census does not cover all looked-after children; information is not collected for pupils in alternative provision, including pupil referral units, FE colleges, voluntary provision and those not in education or training. These differences in coverage partly explain the difference in the numbers from each source. It is possible that the school census undercounts the number of looked-after children in primary, secondary and special schools where they are unaware of a child's looked-after status. The improvements in care planning arrangements and increased focus on education through the implementation of the Children and Young Person's Act 2008 will ensure that schools have the information they need about a child's looked-after status. In particular, all maintained schools will be required to appoint a designated teacher for looked-after children on the school's roll. Through our wider Care Matters programme, the Department is funding 11 local authorities to pilot the role of a virtual school head to work with schools which have looked-after children on roll.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3) , percentage of pupils in care per school( 4)  as at January 2008, England 
			   Primary schools( 1)  Secondary schools( 1, 2)  Special schools( 3) 
			  Percentage of pupils in care per school  Number of schools  Percentage of schools  Number of schools  Percentage of schools  Number of schools  Percentage of schools 
			 0% 10,451 60.74 383 11.32 120 11.43 
			 0.1% to 2% 6,229 36.20 2,939 86.88 130 12.38 
			 2.1% to 4% 456 2.65 49 1.45 225 21.43 
			 4.1% to 6% 50 0.29 11 0.33 188 17.90 
			 6.1% to 8% 12 0.07 1 0.03 126 12.00 
			 8.1% to 10% 3 0.02 0 0.00 79 7.52 
			 More than 10% 4 0.02 0 0.00 182 17.33 
			 Total 17,205  3,383  1,050  
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes CTCs and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes hospital schools. (4) Pupils classed as being in care in a particular school as at January 2008 expressed as a percentage of the headcount of all pupils in the same school, includes both sole and dual (main) registrations.  Source: School Census.

Special Educational Needs: Children in Care

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many looked-after children have a statement of special educational needs.

Beverley Hughes: In 2007, there were 9,300 looked-after children (who have been looked after for at least 12 months) with a statement of special educational needs. This figure can be found in table A of the 'Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, 12 months to 30 September 2007England' Statistical First Release accessible via
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000785/SFR08_2008_NationalTablesv2.xls

Young People: Homelessness

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the management of those under 16 years who become homeless as a result of running away.

Beverley Hughes: Guidance to local authorities on how to respond appropriately to the needs of young people who run away was published by the Department of Health, the Department which then had responsibility for children's services, in 2002. As part of the commitments made in the Young Runaways Action Plan, this guidance is currently being updated, and a draft version is out for formal consultation, in advance of publication later this year.
	Running away should be seen as an indicator of an underlying problem for a young person which may need further intervention. Many children who run away from home are likely to be children in need requiring support and services provided by local authorities or by voluntary organisations acting on their behalf. Most runaways will return home; where it is inappropriate for them to do so, it is for the local authority to ensure that they are appropriately cared for.
	The new guidance will clearly set out local authorities' responsibilities relating to providing emergency accommodation for young people who have run away. It will reflect the emerging findings of the current review into the provision of emergency accommodation for young people. This review will help local authorities identify successful and cost effective forms of provision, and young people's perceptions of different types of emergency accommodation.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Birth Rate

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many births there were in England in each year since 1979.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2009:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your request for information on how many births there were in England in each year since 1979. I am replying in her absence. (250775)
	Birth statistics for England and Wales are published according to the area of usual residence of the mother. The attached table shows the number of live births for the years 1979 to 2007 (the latest year available) to mothers who were usually resident in England.
	
		
			  Live births to mothers usually resident in England( 1) ,1979 to 2007 
			   Live births 
			 1979 601,316 
			 1980 618,371 
			 1981 598,163 
			 1982 589,711 
			 1983 593,255 
			 1984 600,573 
			 1985 619,301 
			 1986 623,609 
			 1987 643,330 
			 1988 654,363 
			 1989 649,357 
			 1990 666,920 
			 1991 660,806 
			 1992 651,784 
			 1993 636,473 
			 1994 628,956 
			 1995 613,257 
			 1996 614,184 
			 1997 608,202 
			 1998 602,111 
			 1999 589,468 
			 2000 572,826 
			 2001 563.744 
			 2002 565,709 
			 2003 589,851 
			 2004 607,184 
			 2005 613,028 
			 2006 635,748 
			 2007 655,357 
			 (1) Refers to births taking place in England and Wales to mothers who are usually resident in England.

Children: Disadvantaged

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what percentage of children lived in families claiming out-of-work benefits in 2008, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 702W.

Death: Carbon Monoxide

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in  (a) Southampton and  (b) Test Valley borough in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in  (a) Southampton and  (b) Test Valley Borough in each of the last five years. 1 am replying in her absence. (251033)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths where the toxic effect of carbon monoxide was the cause of death for people in  (a) Southampton unitary authority and  (b) Test Valley local authority district, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths with a cause of carbon monoxide poisoning( 1)  Southampton unitary authority and Test Valley local authority district( 2)  2003 to 20073 
			   Deaths (persons) 
			   Southampton  Test Valley 
			 2003 0 0 
			 2004 3 2 
			 2005 1 1 
			 2006 1 1 
			 2007 0 2 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T58. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2008 (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Departmental Buildings

Lee Scott: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent on  (a) maintaining,  (b) decorating and  (c) otherwise improving departmental buildings in the last five years; how much has been spent on wallpaper since 2001; and what plans there are for further spending on departmental decoration.

Kevin Brennan: Since 2004-05 a lifecycle programme covering the maintenance and decoration of the majority of the Cabinet Office's buildings has been in place. Information on maintenance and decoration costs prior to then and for wallpaper is not held separately. The cost of maintenance and decoration work has been as follows:
	
		
			  () 
			 2004-05 1,368,000 
			 2005-06 1,331,000 
			 2006-07 1,446,000 
			 2007-08 1,292,000 
		
	
	Maintenance and decoration work will continue to be done as part of the lifecycle programme. Information about capital expenditure on improving Cabinet Office buildings is included in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts available in the House of Commons Library.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how much has been spent on designing 10 Downing Street-branded  (a) mouse mats and  (b) desktops in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what products featuring departmental or Government branding were procured by  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) the Prime Minister's Office in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how much was spent on products featuring departmental or Government branding by  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) the Prime Minister's Office in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: For these purposes the Prime Minister's Office forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office, like all departments, uses various forms of branding in publications and printed material to differentiate itself from other Government departments. The information is not held in a format that would enable the questions to be answered without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost of  (a) the Cabinet Office's and  (b) No. 10 Downing Street's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and therefore the answer provided is for the whole of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Research

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) terms of reference are and  (b) timescale is of the review by the right hon. Member for Darlington into social mobility and elitist professions.

Kevin Brennan: The panel's work will focus on identifying barriers to access to the professions and look at the contributions the professions, supported by Government where required, could make to widen access. The work will not touch on aspects of social mobility covered elsewhere in the New Opportunities White Paper, and will not look at employment law, illegal discrimination, or wider issues of equality such as race or gender.
	The panel is expected to report on its findings in the summer.

Employment

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people in employment aged  (a) 16,  (b) 17 and  (c) 18 are employed by (i) small and medium-sized employers, (ii) large private employers and (iii) the public sector.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated 28 January 2009:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in employment aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 are employed by (i) small and medium-sized employers, (ii) large private employers and (iii) the public sector. I am replying in her absence. (251125)
	The available information is provided in the attached table. The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	The estimates by size of employer are based on respondents' understanding of the number of employees in their workplace. This may not equal the employer's total employment as it may have more than one site.
	The distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work. The public sector estimates provided do not correspond to official Public Sector Employment estimates. Those are derived directly from employers and are based on National Accounts definitions, but do not include this detailed age breakdown.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	The figures have been derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. Consequently the estimates from Q3 2006 onwards are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release, which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.
	
		
			  People in employment by public and private sector and by age and number of employees at workplace( 1) three month period ending September 2008United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousands 
			   Private sector( 2, 4, 5)  
			  Age  1 to 499 employees( 6)  500 or more employees( 6)  Public sector( 2, 3, 5) 
			 16 **143 ****__ ****__ 
			 17 **295 ****__ ***23 
			 18 *364 ***22 ***23 
			 (1 )Employees at the respondent's workplace This will exclude those working for the same employer on different sites (2) It should be noted that public and private sector estimates, - are based on survey respondents' views about the organisation for which they work; - do not correspond to the National Accounts definition used for Public Sector Employment estimates, (3) Includes nationalised industry or state corporation, central Government, civil service, local government or council (incl. police, fire services and local authority controlled schools or colleges), university or other grant funded educational establishment, health authority or NHS trust and armed forces. (4) Includes self-employed and unpaid family workers. (5 )Excludes those whose type of employer was not known. (6) Excludes those whose number of employees at the workplace was not known (7 )Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described as follows:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical robustness  * 0 [le] CV 5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5 [le] CV 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10 [le] CV  20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes and have not been provided It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.)  Source: Labour Force Survey

Government Departments: Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether his Department has issued guidance to other departments on the practice of holding departmental away days outside departmental buildings.

Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office has not issued guidance to other departments on the practice of holding departmental away days outside departmental buildings, as policy on this area is a matter for individual departments to establish.

Life Expectancy

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimate he has made of the life expectancy of  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) the North East and (ii) the UK; and what the life expectancy of each was in (A) 1997 and (B) 2001.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Duinnell, dated 28 January 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what recent estimate has been made of the life expectancy of  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) the North East and (ii) the UK; and what the life expectancy in each was in (A) 1997 and (B) 2001. (250057)
	Life expectancy figures are calculated as three year rolling averages. The table attached provides the period life expectancy at birth for (a) males and (b) females for (i) the North Last government office region, and (ii) the United Kingdom, for (A) 1996-98, (B) 2000-02 and (C) 2005-07 (the latest period available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Period life expectancy at birth( 1) , North East government office region and United Kingdom( 2) , 1996-98, 2000-02 and 2005-07( 3) 
			  Years of life 
			  Area  Sex  1996-98  2000-02  2005-07 
			 North East Males 73 75 76 
			  Females 78 79 80 
			 UK Males 75 76 77 
			  Females 80 80 82 
			 (1) Period life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the area's age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. The figure reflects mortality among those living in the area in each time period, rather than mortality among those born in each area. It is not therefore the number of years a baby born in the area in each time period could actually expect to live, both because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and because many of those born in the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives. (2 )Using boundaries as of 2008 for all the years shown. (3) Three year rolling averages, based on deaths registered in each year and mid-year population estimates.

Public Bodies: Lobbying

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1364W, and the Answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, column 949W, on public bodies: public relations, whether guidance or advice has been produced in relation to public bodies hiring public affairs firms for lobbying purposes, as opposed to public relations media activity.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments provides guidelines on the use of consultants by non-department public bodies (NDPBs). Copies of the publication have been placed in the Libraries.

Risk Capital Fund

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the effect on social enterprises of the Risk Capital Fund; and what steps his Department is taking to draw the attention of social enterprises to the fund's existence.

Kevin Brennan: The Risk Capital Fund has not yet been launched. The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) is currently in the process of appointing a fund manager or managers for the Fund. The announcement of this appointment will be made in the coming weeks. As a consequence, no assessment of the effect of the Fund on social enterprises can be made.
	We have regularly publicised the Fund's development, including consulting on our proposals, since its announcement in the Social Enterprise Action Plan.